Cargando...The architectural jewel that is the Xanadu Mansion, located in the western area of Matanzas, deserved the Provincial Award for the Restoration of Monuments 2025, thanks to its historical values that transcend contemporary times.
This is what Dailys Collado, director of the Office of Monuments and Historic Sites (OMSH), stated when explaining the valid reasons for granting the high recognition to the so-called Dupont House.
The Xanadu Mansion is considered one of the wonders of Matanzas architecture because it is one of the best examples of the neocolonial style, Collado said.
One of the most significant moments in the restoration of this building, which lasted several years, was the work done on its decks, made of precious Cuban woods and Italian marble, carefully worked to preserve them as emblematic of Cuban architecture of the early twentieth century.
One of the challenges of all the repairs to the mansion was to respect the original architectural design of the property, which today is a cozy hotel with eight rooms, terraces, balconies, two bars and a French restaurant, with the value of having most of the original real estate.
Xanadu has original furnishings and decorations such as sea horses, nautical roses, sailboats or oars that adorn lamps, furniture and the floor of the back patio, which is lit with mosaic tiles.
The Palmares Company owns the building, which was declared a National Monument in 2013, and whose inauguration dates back to December 31, 1930, on the rocks of San Bernardino, in Varadero, Cuba’s main beach resort.
Designed by architects Felix Cabarrocas and Evelio Govantes, after the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, the Dupont House was used as a school for young people practicing water sports. In 1963 it housed a restaurant, a place where, it is said, the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova stayed.
Over time, Xanadu became the clubhouse for the golf course, which measures 6,269 linear feet from the first hole to the last and covers 61 acres.
Since its official opening on October 26th, 1999, the Varadero Golf Club has consolidated itself as an authentic tourist product, internationally known and the venue of important competitions.
