Salón Turquino
Salón Turquino sits on the 25th floor of Hotel Habana Libre, the former Havana Hilton that became one of Cuba's most historically charged buildings after 1959. The rooftop club has operated in various forms since the hotel's opening and delivers the best elevated view of the Havana skyline from a nightlife venue, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing the Malecón, the sea, and the Vedado grid stretching below. The room itself has the slightly dated elegance of a state-run hotel club, with mirrored walls, carpeted floors, and a central dance floor flanked by booth seating. Programming leans toward salsa, timba, and Cuban pop, with live bands on weekend nights and DJ sets filling in between. The crowd mixes hotel guests, Cuban regulars, and tourists who come specifically for the view.
What to Expect
A rooftop club with a view that rewards showing up early. Live salsa or timba bands, a dance floor that fills with a mix of Cuban and foreign dancers, and a slightly more formal atmosphere than street-level venues.
Elegant and slightly dated in the way state-run Cuban hotel spaces often are, with killer views softening the formality.
Live salsa, timba, and son cubano bands; DJ sets of reggaeton, Cuban pop, and Latin hits between performances
Smart casual. Collared shirt for men, no shorts, closed shoes required. More polished than Centro Habana spots.
Couples, tourists wanting a skyline view, dancers who prefer a contained hotel setting
Cash in USD works best. Euros accepted at lower rates. Cuban hotel cards work for guests. US-issued cards will not work. European cards sometimes go through at the hotel front desk but are unreliable in the club.
Price Range
Entry 10 USD including one drink, additional drinks 5-7 USD, bottle of rum 30 USD
Entry ~10 USD with drink, additional drinks ~5-7 USD
Hours
Thu-Sat 22:30-03:00, music picks up around midnight
Insider Tip
Arrive before 23:30 for window seating, the views are the main draw and tables along the glass fill fast. The hotel has its own separate bar called El Turquino lobby bar on the ground floor, make sure you take the elevator to the 25th floor and not that bar. Dress slightly up; the staff enforces standards more strictly than downtown venues.
Full Review
The approach to Salón Turquino tells its own story. The Habana Libre lobby preserves the late-1950s Hilton bones, mosaics, stone facing, and a sweeping staircase, and the elevator ride to the 25th floor passes through decades of Cuban history without comment. Stepping out of the lift, the club occupies the entire top floor, with a central dance area surrounded by tables and a long bar along the wall away from the windows. The view dominates everything else: the Malecón curving toward Centro Habana, the sea beyond, and at night a spread of lights that makes the city look larger than it feels at street level.
The music programming is solid if not spectacular. Live bands play most Friday and Saturday nights, with salsa and timba ensembles that handle the genre well without reaching the heights of FAC or Casa de la Música. The crowd splits roughly between hotel guests, Cuban regulars who have been coming for years, and tourists brought in by guidebook recommendations. The dance floor functions, and capable salseros find partners without difficulty, though the floor stays less crowded than at Centro Habana music halls.
Among Vedado's hotel-based nightlife, Salón Turquino competes mostly with the clubs at the Meliá Cohiba and Hotel Nacional. The view gives it an edge, and the cover charge is reasonable given what is included. The trade-off is atmosphere: state-run hotel clubs cannot match the rawer energy of FAC or the purely local pull of Café Cantante. This is nightlife as polished product rather than cultural expression, but the product is a good one for what it is.
Reserve a window table if possible; your casa host or hotel concierge can usually arrange this. The elevators close at different times depending on occupancy, so confirm the route back to the lobby before the night ends. Taxis wait outside the hotel at all hours.
The Neighborhood
Hotel Habana Libre anchors the top of La Rampa where 23rd Street meets L, placing the club at the commercial heart of Vedado. Coppelia ice cream park, the Yara Cinema, and a string of restaurants sit within a three-block radius.
Getting There
The hotel stands on La Rampa, walkable from most of Vedado within 5-15 minutes. Classic-car taxis from Habana Vieja cost 8-10 USD and take 15 minutes. Bicitaxis cover short distances within Vedado for 2-3 USD. Taxis and Gran Cars line up outside the main hotel entrance day and night.
Where to stay in Havana
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
Other Venues in Vedado
Fábrica de Arte Cubano
Converted cooking oil factory turned art gallery and nightclub spread across multiple rooms. DJs, live bands, film screenings, and gallery spaces all under one roof.
Jazz Café
Havana's main jazz venue on the top floor of Galerías de Paseo with nightly performances and a dance floor that gets packed after midnight.
El Gato Tuerto
Late-night cabaret bar open since 1960, known for bolero singers and a bohemian crowd. Things don't get going until after 11 PM.
Submarino Amarillo
Beatles-themed bar with live rock and pop music on weekends. Young Cuban crowd, cheap beer, and walls covered in Fab Four memorabilia.
Café Cantante Mi Habana
Underground nightclub beneath the Teatro Nacional with salsa, reggaeton, and timba nights. Draws a mostly Cuban crowd and gets loud on weekends.