Lilliam Riera

Although not one of the first hotel groups to invest in Cuba since the 1990's, the luxurious, traditional Kempinski Hotels company, established in 1897, is interested in Havana.

The Swiss hotel chain - Europe's oldest - will manage a luxury 5 star hotel, for the Cuban hotel group Gaviota S.A, with just over 200 rooms, and occupying the entire area of the historic Gómez building, which belonged to the affluent Gómez-Mena family prior to 1959.

Speaking to Granma International, Frank País Oltuski, vice president of marketing for Gaviota S.A. - leader in Cuba's tourist industry - commented that 87% of hotels in Cuba are managed by foreign hotel chains, the majority Spanish, such as the prestigious Meliá, but also including the Canadian Blue Diamond and Portuguese Pestana.

As part of the implementation of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines approved by the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, development and diversification of foreign investments in tourism is one of the country's priorities. Among the types of development opportunities the sector is promoting are management and marketing contracts.

According to statistics presented by representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, in 2013, there were 16 foreign hotel chains operating in Cuba, managing 60 hotels, with a total of 28,510 rooms. And now Cuba has another to add to the list: Kempinski Hotels.

Oltuski stated that the Swiss hotel chain was present at the 34th edition of the International Tourism Fair FitCuba 2014, which took place in Havana May 6-10, and was attended by 1,187 registered participants from 48 countries, among them 175 representatives from hotel groups. During the Fair, one of Kempinski Hotels' most important directors, Bugra Berberoglu, who traveled to Havana to finalize details of the management contract confirmed the group's participation in the project, stating to OnCuba, "We want the Kempinski Manzana de Gómez to be the pride of the nation."

"None of our hotels are the same as others, we have a different concept of what luxury is," stated Berberoglu, director of the Swiss hotel chain which has more than 70 hotels in 30 countries.

Oltuski commented to Granma International that the hotel still does not have a name, but will be of an extremely high standard and marketed by Kempinski, through its distribution channels. He stated that the hotel's opening is scheduled for the end of 2016, adding that the investment, which not only includes the hotel but also the shopping center located on the lower levels, is 100% Cuban.

Junior room, mezzanine suite.

The luxury hotel will be situated in a prime location, opposite Havana's Central Park, close to important museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts; the renowned Floridita restarant; majestic theatres like the García Lorca and Martí; other well-known hotels such as The Plaza and The Inglaterra; the impressive Capitolio de La Habana; the beautiful Paseo del Prado; the Malecón, and the capital's historic center, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

Currently, the state enterprise Gaviota S.A. has 1,297 rooms in Havana, a figure which will certainly increase with the opening of the new hotel and another two establishments - one on the Prado and Malecón, and the other in the Packard, which are currently being developed and will offer more than 200 rooms each, scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Junior room, mezzanine suite.

Among the longer term projects is the restoration of old buildings such as the Gran Hotel, the Regis and the Metropolitano. Oltuski stated that all of these projects will contribute to transforming Havana into one of the principal tourist destinations in the Caribbean.

Havana is the second most popular destination in the country, after the famous Varadero beach resort located in the western province of Matanzas, to which 50% of international visitors arrive, making it the main gateway into the country. Oltuski also commented on the completion of more than 1,000 rooms in the Villa Clara Keys in the north of that province, and the more than 1,100 in Jardines del Rey, in the north of Ciego de Ávila, planned for 2014, adding that Gaviota S.A. will continue to invest in beach resorts.

The opening of these new establishments will raise the number of rooms in the country's hotel network to 62,000, while the total number for Gaviota S.A. - with establishments in all the tourist regions on the island - will increase from 21,665 in 2013, to more than 24,000 by the end of 2014.

Lobby bar.

The continued growth of Gaviota's lodging options has earned the group an important position in the Cuban hotel market. According to information supplied by Gaviota, the group is also planning to develop various marinas and a diverse range of non-hotel facilities, in order to offer a complete tourist package and access new segments of the market. Oltuski stated that the group is currently in the process of selecting a foreign company to manage Varadero Gaviota Marina, situated on the peninsula of Hicacos, in Matanzas, and destined to become the largest and most complete tourist port in Cuba and the Caribbean, with more 1,000 berths.

The project, is one of Gaviota's most important, and is advancing simultaneously with other initiatives - some already completed and others still underway. To be created is a vast tourist center offering the best amenities and excellent service to lovers of the sea and of sailing who decide to visit the country, arriving by sea in their own boats, but also open to those who want to enjoy a little relaxation in a unique location.

By the end of 2014, Gaviota S.A will have 55 hotels, 12 of which are located in Varadero, site of the largest hotel complex on the island with more than 29,418 rooms, and classified as one of the planet's 10 best beach resorts, according to