Hotel Saratoga

Hotel Saratoga
Hotel Saratoga
	Hotel Saratoga, before the 2022 explosion that largely destroyed it
Former names	Hotel Alcazar
General information
Status	Closed
Type	Commercial
Architectural style	Postmodern
Address	Paseo del Prado No. 603
Town or city	Havana
Country	Cuba
Coordinates	23°08′01″N 82°21′29″W / 23.13361°N 82.35806°W
Completed	1888
Opened	2005
Renovated	1933
Closed	April 2020
Owner	Revolutionary government
Landlord	Empresa Mixta Hotel Saratoga S.A.
Height
Architectural	33 meters (108 ft)
Roof	27 meters (89 ft)
Top floor	24 meters (79 ft)
Technical details
Structural system	Reinforced concrete
Floor count	13
Lifts/elevators	4
Grounds	1,132 square metres (12,180 sq ft)
Website
	www.hotel-saratoga.com

The Hotel Saratoga was a historic hotel located on the Paseo del Prado, in Old Havana near the Fuente de la India. Built in 1880 as a warehouse, it was remodeled into a hotel in 1933. It was further remodeled in 2005 and reopened as a luxury hotel.^[3] The hotel was largely destroyed by a gas explosion on 6 May 2022, which killed forty-seven people.^[4]

History

The Hotel Saratoga is located in front of the Parque de la Fraternidad near the Capitolio Building in Havana, Cuba. Spanish merchant Gregorio Palacio y Pérez commissioned the building. Originally, it was a three-story building.^[5]

Its first location was on Calle Monte. Later it was moved to the surroundings of the Campo de Marte (now the Parque de la Fraternidad) and called the Alcázar.

The central location and the views made it a preferred destination for international visitors.^[3] In 1935, tourist guides highlighted the hotel as one of the best in Havana. Its terrace, called Aires Libres, was an important cultural and traditional center in the 20th century.^[3]^[6]

Revolutionary period

Like most businesses in Cuba in the 1960s, the Hotel Saratoga was confiscated by the revolutionary government.^[3]^[a]^[8] Until then, the building had maintained its vitality. After the takeover by the revolutionary government, it became a tenement building with multiple subdivisions until it was vacated due to its poor condition.^[3]^[b] In 1996, the property was transferred to Hotel Saratoga S.A., a Cuban joint-venture company owned jointly by Habaguanex S.A., the commercial arm of the City Historian's Office, and an international consortium of investors.^{[citation needed]} The original building was gutted, and only the street façades on Paseo del Prado and Dragones remained. A new building was constructed behind the original façades, including a two-level basement, a mezzanine level, and additional floors. It was reopened in 2005 as a five-star hotel with 96 rooms, three bars, two restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, and a business center. Its architecture recalled the colonial era and had an eclectic character with a large number of elements of interest such as French carpentry, ceramics, and Cuban marble.^[3] The two original facades were destroyed by the explosion.

2022 explosion

An explosion occurred on 6 May 2022 at the hotel, killing forty-seven people, including one Spanish tourist.^[4] The hotel's facade was sheared off and the interior was gutted. The cause was attributed to an accident while resupplying the building with gas.^[10]