{"id":5526,"date":"2014-03-30T11:28:48","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T09:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/?p=5526"},"modified":"2014-03-30T11:28:48","modified_gmt":"2014-03-30T09:28:48","slug":"havana-the-riviera-hotel-and-juanita","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/startseite\/havana-the-riviera-hotel-and-juanita\/","title":{"rendered":"Havana – The Riviera Hotel And Juanita"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"nfcFirst time ever I stepped into this tunnel of foregone time, this Mafia monument, this beautifully preserved 50’s gem of architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Funny, so many times I’ve driven past, so many times I’ve been next door at the ugly Melia Cohiba for events, LCDH, the Internet, etc, but never had I been to the Riviera hotel before in all my years in Havana.<\/span><\/p>\n

And to think I only went to greet Juanita, one of my favourite rollers and good friend in Havana.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had heard that she is now there, at the small but very cosy Casa del Tabaco in the lobby, having been re-assigned from the LCDH Melia Cohiba.<\/span><\/p>\n

So there I went with some of my Portmann group friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

But after entering the hotel I was fascinated and captivated by the atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had to see it all first. <\/span><\/p>\n

And I did.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lobby is awe inspiring, the restaurants there decadent and full of 50’s charm, I expected to see women in night gowns and men in tuxedos.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lobby bar overlooking the Malecon and the blue sea is a dream.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pool area an oasis.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then I went into the grand old empty hall that used to be the casino ….<\/span><\/p>\n

My voice echoed from the empty expanse and bare walls. The bar was still visible and I could only imagine the noise of the roulette wheel and the electronic noise from the one-armed bandits and all the action and people gathered there back then.<\/span><\/p>\n

What a great experience that visit was.<\/span><\/p>\n

I did it again a few days later and was still impressed and awed by the place.<\/span><\/p>\n

As to the Casa del Tabaco and Juanita – she was, like me, suffering from a tough case of coughing and bronchitis, so I shared with her the medicine my wife had sent me over.<\/span><\/p>\n

But still, the best medicine was her warm smile, her familiar hospitality, her cigars and the bottle of rum on the table that Norbert, Hannes, Tobias and I shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can I say – I see myself back in that bar having a quiet drink and a good cigar. <\/span><\/p>\n

Soon.
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Nino<\/span><\/b>
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