The Hotel Habana Libre, a 25-storey concrete tower in the Vedado neighbourhood, was built as the Havana Hilton in 1958 and opened just months before Castro took power. It promptly became Fidel's headquarters for the first weeks of the revolution — suite 2324 on the 23rd floor was his personal office and residence for several months. The hotel was nationalised in 1960 and renamed; it remains one of the tallest buildings in Havana.
The rooftop bar and club is one of the best vantage points in the city — a broad open terrace with 360-degree views over Vedado, the sea, and, on clear days, the full sweep of the city. It is also one of the more socially relaxed venues in Havana, welcoming a genuine mixture of Cubans and tourists rather than the increasingly segregated atmosphere of some Old Havana bars. The drinks are reasonably priced by Cuban tourist standards. Go at sunset.