The history of Hotel Brasil

The Hotel Brasil a construction with Art Deco style is located in Historical Centre of Guantánamo City, in the street Calixto Garcia between Flor Crombet and Emilio Giró. According to the history and the testimonies of the time, in century XIX, there was a wood building with ceiling of mud roofing tiles cooked of the Spanish type, in which they were tobacconist of Antonio Orsini and his particular residence followed by the Agency of Magazine and Publications of Rosendo Ferrer and son.

In 1947 Enrique Vidal Dalmau banker of Clandestine Lottery “La Bolita” known among the elements of the upset life as "Muerto Vivo" was able to get an agency of the newspapers “El Pais” and “Excelsior” maybe trying to change of direction (as he made it) toward a worthy life broke up his nexuses with the original business “La Bolita” and acquired the building and land where the tobacconist and agency of publications were then built and inaugurated in 1947 the Hotel Roosevelt, his wife, a brother in law and himself being devoted to operate the new Hotel.

The Roosevelt Hotel counted on a luxurious restaurant hall and as access to the second floor an elegant perron, elaborated their pieces to the lathe in beautiful wood. The front door of  the Hotel and the restaurant were on the left side and in the rest of the space he order to paint in the dark glasses wall an oil painting label with the name of the hotel and the services that lent in letters of gold sheets that had a measures of 6 x 6 inches and a thickness that didn't arrive to half millimeter made by the best signwriter existed in Guantánamo in that the time called Marcelino Linares, Guantánamo Naval Base major signwriter; the assistant was Hector Renan Borges Vicente known by “Tati Borges”.  

Mr. Vidal became his hotel in the centre of the Rotary International Club, one of those altruistic societies of North American origin, perhaps with certain competitive sense with the Washington Hotel located at the front and that was the centre of the Lions International Club. 

The famous label on the large window of the Hotel Roosevelt was broken for a strong hit with a metallic bar applied by a young person named Dr. Lucio Osorio Speck. 

The Hotel Roosevelt figured in the Guantanamo city society like the best until its nationalization, after the same, in the first half of the 60 years, changed the name of Hotel Roosevelt to Hotel Brasil like part of the process in which renamed streets and establishments of the city. Today the Hotel Brasil is closed due to a reconstruction project and total reformation and will be operated by the Islazul Hotels.