O’Farrill Palace Hotel. Located on the corners of Calle Cuba and Calle Chacón, very close to the entrance to the Bay of Havana and the Plaza de la Catedral , in Old Havana, a World Heritage Site .
Summary
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- 1 History
- 1 Its beginnings
- 2 Features
- 3 Arquitectura
- 4 Sources
History
The beginning
The name of the facility is inspired by the surname O’Farrill, belonging to a family that assumed the construction of the mansion in Old Havana, back in the early nineteenth century .
This small palace of neoclassical architecture was the former home of Don José Ricardo O’Farrill y O’Daly, a wealthy merchant from County Longford in Ireland and linked to the lucrative slave trade and owner of sugar mills, who arrived in Havana in 1715 and founded one of the wealthiest families of the nobility in colonial times.
For several decades, his descendants stood out for their contributions in the activities of public administration, economy and culture, in addition to noble titles, until hosting institutions such as the Supreme Court of Cuba in later times.
It was built from three houses bought by one of his descendants: Rafael O’Farrill, but it was not completed until 1832 thanks to José Ricardo O’Farrill y O’Farrill, Don Ricardo’s great-grandson.
Features
Restored by the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana and belonging to the Habaguanex SA Company, this Patrimonial Grade I building began operations as a Hotel on November 15, 2002 , on the eve of the 483rd anniversary of the founding of the Cuban capital. .
The four-star hotel has 38 rooms (35 standard and three junior suites) and leisure facilities. The combination of architectural elements from the 18th , 19th and 20th centuries in the decoration of each of its three levels is a distinctive element of this Hotel. Several of its spaces have been baptized with names allegorical to the northern country. As a unique attraction, it has the Chico O’Farrill snack bar , as a tribute to this figure of jazz.
Architecture
A bronze-studded mahogany gate provides access to the site, where the distinctive interior courtyard leads to a marble staircase leading to the upper floors, all illuminated by light filtering through a skylight in the ceiling.
The restoration work returned to this Palace its original characteristics, including those that were added over time and the functions to which it was dedicated.
Every March 17th, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated at the Hotel , as a modern tribute to descendants and lovers of the beautiful country of Ireland.
