Mansión Xanadú: An architectural gem in the Caribbean
El Balcón del Habano maintains its usual location at the Mansión Xanadú, a National Monument since 2013, located within the Varadero Golf Club complex
Posted by Sol de Cuba, 11/09/2025
By: Gabriela Camila Castellanos Mora
Photos: Omara García Mederos
El Balcón del Habano arrives at the 15th edition of the Varadero Gourmet International Festival with its blend of tobacco, coffee and rum, as one of the activities that historically distinguishes this great celebration of culinary art.
The event, which attracts renowned sommeliers every year, maintains its usual location at the Mansión Xanadú, a National Monument since 2013, located within the Varadero Golf Club complex.
Xanadú: Architectural legacy set among the sea and history
Nelys Ortega Padrón, commercial specialist for the Varadero Golf Club, offered Sol de Cuba magazine a tour of this marvel of Matanzas architecture, which stands at the highest point of the Hicacos Peninsula, as an example of neocolonial stylistic variation and the luxury and comfort of an era.
On the rocks of San Bernardino, the majestic boutique hotel stands near the 18-hole, par 72 golf course, the only one of its kind in Cuba, with a medium level of complexity and a challenging design.
The construction dates back to 1930, its architectural design was carried out by two Cubans with extensive experience, Félix Cabarrocas (1887-1961) and Evelio Govantes (1886-1981), and it belonged to the French-American millionaire Irénée du Pont (1876-1963), famous for the development of chemical products, specifically for the manufacture of DuPont paints.
With the triumph of the revolution, and following the nationalization of the property, only a few services were provided there until the Las Américas Restaurant opened in 1962.
The golf course model was the work of Canadian architect Les Furber, with construction completed in 1999.
With the change in the concept regarding its use, the rooms were restored to make the mansion the hotel that exists today.
One of the agreements between the du Pont family and the Cuban government after 1959 was to avoid major changes to the infrastructure, and this has remained the case.
Xanadú offers accommodation in eight rooms, two singles and six doubles, as well as a viewing bar on the third floor with views that encompass the entire peninsula. International cuisine is offered, but the influence of French cuisine predominates.
The mansion won the Provincial Restoration Award in 2025, and later received national recognition in the same category. It is considered a Grade 1 National Heritage Site, as its interior houses more than 600 museum pieces, including an organ installed in 1932 and cataloged at the time as the largest in all of Latin America. It was designed to fill specific spaces in the house with classical melodies.
Located at the highest point in Varadero, the Xanadú mansion is a symbol of good taste and refinement that the Palmares S.A. Extra-Hotel Enterprise protects as one of its most prized treasures to share with those who choose to explore Cuba.
