The Sevilla Biltmore, as it was known before the Revolution, was one of the establishments owned and run by Havana’s Mafia network. Santo Trafficante Junior had shares in it and the Cuban-Italian owner, Amletto Battisti, was the kingpin of the city’s lottery racket. The Sevilla hotel has a rather curious layout but its public areas are very attractive. The prevailing decorative style is, as one would expect, Andalusian, with a profusion of lustre-glazed cuerda seca tiles. The lobby and courtyard bar are welcoming and the Hotel Mercure Sevilla is one of the only three hotels in the area with a pool the other two are the Parque Central and the Saratoga.