History
Hotel Armadores de Santander, building that dates of the half of the XIX century, it’s located to the Havan’s doors and it’s one of those that picks up the architectural chore of the different times that left their treads in the habanera large urban area.
In this ground two housings existed: one of them was resided by Don Ramón Herrera y Sancibrián, natural of a town located in the Spanish town of Santander. Notable case was that of Ramón Herrera y Sancibrián that he was forced to emigrate to Cuba running away from the poorness, searching a better luck after he started his career like weaver in the Spanish city of Mortera. Here in Cuba he became by himself into a successful shipowner and banker.
During the Independence’s Cuban wars, Don Ramón dedicated a part of his fleet to the Spanish Crown’s Service, for which he was rewarded with his Spanish title prefixed (Don). His fleet of ships worked for the Caribbean region, transfering spanish troops from Spain, among other functions. His name based in all those conditions contributed to the current name of this installation, since the Don Ramón Herrera's offices were placed in these buildings, besides of others important shipowners of this spanish region.
Toward 1884, the offices of the Herrera’s vapors line got place into one of those buildings, located in the San Pedro street number 26 where they remained during several years. In that time, the San Pedro street was of short extension: it left of the bottom of the Convento de San Francisco de Asís until the Oficios, where formerly began the Luz street. San Pedro's identification 26 correspond to the numeration that the general captain Miguel Tacón implanted in the decade of 1830 and that was extended until the first third of the XX century, this street became later on into Luz 4, current of the hotel.
Later Mortera Count’s successors got residence in this place: «Herrera's Nephews» calls, with their mail vapors company and military transports. One of them, Ramón Herrera Gutiérrez - possessor of the referred title of nobility - was president of the Section of Sailing of the Cuba Commerce Chamber, Ice factory and brewery La Tropical, that was founded in June, 1888.
The Herrera occupied the property until beginnings of the years 90 of the XIX century, when they bought the building of San Pedro and Sol street corner, well-known as «The Mortera Count’s house».
In those grounds of the Luz street, where the counts placed their home and vapors company, José Cabrero Mier built, for that time, in 1897, the property that form the main current building of the hotel Armadores de Santander.
Years later, at the beginning of the XX century, in the high plant of this building was established in a short period, The Balearic Center, charity association and Spanish residents' mutual helps. This one was transferred for Prado street 115, upper floor.
While, the ground floor was leased for diverse trade activities as candy store, bar, barber's shop and shopwindows for the change of currencies and the sale of cigars, cigarettes and coffee, this property belonged, up to 1944, to Cabrero Mier’s descendants Mier.
This building, became hotel at the present time, it’s a sample of an architectural and historical value seated by the centuries. The Hotel Armadores de Santander composes it three buildings, built by José Cabreara Mier, natural of Santander, city reflected in the shield situated in the high part of the main building, while in the wooden great door of the entrance the initial J.C is recorded, that agree with those of the owner in that time.
These properties are framed inside a marine environment that constitutes the current Hotel Armadores de Santander. The contiguous building to the main one - located in the San Pedro street - it was also bought by the trading santanderino José Cabrero Mier in 1900 and, later on, it was became in the property of his descendants up to 1920.
It’s known that, from the ends of the XIX century, here a tavern was worked, and in its ground floor diverse types of trade activities. In 1899, the building was leased by José Moure García who a few time later installed an inn there, having a connoted fame.
In the decade of 1930, when it had already stopped to belong to Cabrero Mier descendants, in the two high plants of that property a whorehouse was installed, and, later, in the years 40 and 50, it worked on like inn.
The third property that conforms the hotel Armadores de Santander, operated - from the first years of the XX century and until the half of the decade of the thirty – like the hotel, coffee and restaurant “The Universe”, where the leaser was Don José Cuenco Bodes; later, the high plant of the building was used like guests' house and inn. The ground floor was used for many trade activities: shopwindows for the sale of cigars and cigarettes, change of currencies, coffee-tavern, restaurant and candy store.
The Hotel Armadores de Santander was started in operation from the year 2002 for the Office of the Historian of the City. This setting in march achievement gave it life again to this building of architectural great value that is part of our traditions.
