La Manzana de Gómez and her history

La Manzana de Gómez and her history

La Manzana de Gómez and her history

La Manzana de Gómez, which reopened in 2017 as the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski, is a 20th-century building located in Havana, within the limits of the Habana Vieja municipality. It stands adjacent  to several significant sites in the city, including Central Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Parque Central Hotel, El Floridita Bar, Obispo Street, the Plaza Hotel, and the Harry Brothers Shopping Center.

The building has approximately five floors and was originally constructed by José Gómez-Mena Vila. In the 1910s, it became the first European-style commercial complex in Cuba. La Manzana de Gómez was also the first city block entirely built in the early 20th century for commercial purposes. It features two interior diagonal streets that intersect the building, seamlessly integrating pedestrian circulation with the surrounding urban fabric. The streets bounding La Manzana de Gómez are Neptuno, San Rafael, Zulueta, and Monserrate.

Initially designed for exclusive commercial use, the building has since evolved into a mixed-use space, housing educational centers, retail establishments, and offices. In 2013, a project was announced to transform it into a private hotel witch now is our Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski.