Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Madonna once celebrated at the Havana hotel that just exploded
As Havana reels from a deadly explosion at the storied Hotel Saratoga on Friday, celebrity watchers may recall it was the same place many A-listers have laid their heads.
Back in 2013, Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed at the five-star hotel in the heart of Cuba’s capital. The trip was a romantic one: The power music couple were celebrating their fifth anniversary in April of that year.
Widely shared pictures show the singers waving to locals and snapping pictures from a balcony at the 19th century building, which reportedly suffered a catastrophic gas leak before the explosion. At least 22 people died.
Another bold-faced name who called the Saratoga home for a few days: Madonna. The pop star’s reason for travel? To celebrate her 58th birthday back in August 2016, according to TMZ. The Material Girl reportedly bunked in one of the property’s finest rooms, the Suite Habana.
The hotel says on Instagram it had been closed for two years due to COVID-19, but was set to reopen Tuesday. No tourists were staying there at the time of the explosion. Repairs were reportedly being done at the property.
PHOTO GALLERY: See the damaged building, crushed cars, rescuers on scene of hotel explosion in Cuba
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 3:39 PM.
