CUBA’S FIRST FIVE-STAR HOTEL OPENS

Have you been to Havana yet? It’s about time you did; the Cuban capital is not just more accessible than ever, but it now also has a brand new five-star hotel – the country’s first – the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana, which opened this month. Nestled in the centre of Old Havana’s charm of vintage cars and guayabera-clad trumpeteers, the hotel has an intriguing history to match nearby Unesco World Heritage sites such as the Capitol and The Great Theatre of Havana. Built between 1894 and 1917, it was Cuba’s first European-style shopping arcade. While the high ceilings and French windows have been retained, the shopping centre has been repurposed into 246 rooms and suites with art by Cuban artists. Rooms from Dh1,726 including breakfast at kempinski.com.