A video shared this Saturday on social media shows the Lincoln Hotel, located at Calle Virtudes No. 157 corner of Galiano, in Central Havana, in a state of complete abandonment, closed, without windows, and with a damaged roof, turned into yet another ruin of Havana.
The author of the video walks around the exterior of the building and describes what he sees: "This hotel used to attract many tourists. A lot. Look at the roof. Look at how it looks. Like a ruin. Those who remember this hotel know that it always had a crowd of tourists. But since there’s no tourism or anything, they left it there, abandoned. Completely closed. Destroyed."
Citizen reactions mix nostalgia, indignation, and concrete proposals. A comment recalls that the Lincoln is "the hotel where Fangio, the great race car driver, stayed," referring to the five-time world champion Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio (1911-1995), who was kidnapped on February 23, 1958, by a group from the 26th of July Movement in the hotel lobby for approximately 27 hours to draw international attention to the fight against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1901-1973).
Another comment points to a contradiction that many Cubans are well aware of. "That hotel was completely renovated just two years ago, and the leaders have allowed everything to be taken away."
Just a year ago, according to another testimony, a cultural Peña was still functioning on the rooftop with panoramic views of the city.
In light of the deterioration, several citizens propose to repurpose the space. "With so many people in need of housing, it should be handed over for that purpose," writes one.
Another went further: "Isn't it better to turn it into housing to help those affected, who have been living in shelters for years?"
A third voice added that it could be used for "cultural projects like La Cobija, which has several families sleeping on the floor and without a bathroom." The summary of many is provided by a succinct comment: "The disaster of communism."
A Cuban exile recalled that her family "whenever they came to Havana always stayed there, and I would go see them and we would eat at their restaurant. The food was always exquisite. I'm talking about the 60s and the early 70s. Today I return with sadness to see what they have allowed to destroy such a welcoming place."
The Lincoln was inaugurated in 1926 and nationalized after the 1959 revolution, after which it came under the management of the state chain Islazul.
In January 2019, Islazul announced an improvement program for the Lincoln and other Havana hotels. The visible outcome in 2026 is the opposite.
The abandonment of the Lincoln is not an isolated case. The deterioration of the Havana Yacht Club, the XI Festival de Alamar cinema turned to ruins, and the documented abandonment in Boca Ciega represent a systematic pattern of destruction of heritage in the Cuban capital.
The context worsens the situation: in the first quarter of 2026, Cuba welcomed 328,608 international tourists, a decrease of 55.8% compared to the same period in 2025, with a hotel occupancy rate of only 21.5%.
Chains like Meliá, Iberostar, and Aston have either withdrawn or reduced their presence on the island following U.S. sanctions against GAESA, the conglomerate of the Cuban military elite, which has led to a hotel sector in free fall, turning buildings like the Lincoln into empty shells.
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