Havana, November 10 (RHC)-- The Cuban Communist Party leader, Raúl Castro Ruz, and the President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez attended on Saturday the official inauguration ceremony of the SO Paseo del Prado hotel, a five-star plus facility managed by the prestigious French chain Accor.

Jean Phillipe, Accor's general director, explained during the ceremony that this is the first SO hotel on the continent and the ninth in the world of this demanding brand.

With 250 rooms of elegant design and maximum comfort, the Paseo del Prado has some of the best views of the Havana Malecón and the fortresses of Morro, San Carlos de La Cabaña and San Salvador de La Punta.

Heather Mc Crory, Accor's CEO for North, Central America and the Caribbean, expressed "deep appreciation to the Government of Cuba for providing the necessary conditions that have allowed this project to take shape and flourish."

The directive added that this inauguration represents the culmination of a historical process for Accor.

 "When the world celebrates the rich traditions of Havana's past, this project points to a successful future, both for Cuba's tourism and for Accor in the Americas," she said.

On behalf of the island, the First Deputy Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos Garcia Granda, pointed out that with the tightening of the U.S. Government blockade, the opening of this hotel demonstrates to all our visitors and the world that we are not overwhelmed  by uncertainty, that the country is alive, functioning and developing economically.

He commented that like the latest facilities built in the nation, the hotel is equipped with top-notch technologies, with amenities that ensure a diversity of services that endorse it as a hotel of a high standard.