The rescue of buildings and sites linked to the history of the Cuban capital, a major tourist destination in the largest Antillean island, is among the priorities of a strategy that aims at the dynamic development of the leisure industry.

Museums, commercial centers, inns and hotels stand out in an area of Havana's historic heart, where there are thousands of buildings with a centennial history of architecture and traditions.

At the corner of Prado and Neptuno streets, a place in Havana that was immortalized by a popular song composed by Enrique Jorrín, the creator of the musical rhythm known as Cha Cha Cha, there is a building that has housed the Telégrafo Hotel since 1885, emerging today with a renovated image under its old façade.

History shows that in the late 19th century, the establishment became a singular attraction for visitors, and was among the most prestigious hotels of the time and one of the 11 best lodges in Latin America.

The Telégrafo Hotel also played its role in Cuba's politics in the early 20th century, when it served as the headquarters of the Liberal Party and the center of electoral campaigns during the first decade of that century.

The hotel underwent its first reconstruction 90 years ago, when it became the most modern lodging facility in the city, a favorite spot for political personalities and businesspeople.

In 1911, the phone sets in its rooms and the tables of the restaurant, a true privilege at the time, gave the hotel a unique touch among the many lodging facilities that had proliferated in Cuba.

After a three-year reconstruction, the Telégrafo Hotel reopened its doors in 2001, totally rejuvenated and with an offer that includes 63 rooms - three suites and six junior suites - and a snack bar.

The latter plays a major role in Havana's nightlife, with theme nights dedicated to different musical genres, in a true blend in which jazz and bolero are worshipped on Thursdays and Fridays.

Gastronomy has its place at a 90-seat restaurant, which offers a broad variety of dishes from the Cuban and the international cuisines.

However, there are unsuspected options under the colonial atmosphere of the establishment, such as a center for Internet connection, cellular phones in the rooms, mail service, and even facilities for videophones in a near future.

For guests, the elegance and comfort of the rooms and common areas of the hotel present a building with a cozy design, especially aimed at meeting the demands of the so-called tourism of incentive and family groups.

The hotel's lobby is decorated with original paintings by Cuban artists and exuberant vegetation, which are complemented with a touch of antiquity provided by old telegraphs and a section of the cable laid under the Straits of Florida in the 1880s to establish telephone communications between Havana and the United States.