First U.S. Hotel Opens In Cuba Since 1959 Revolution

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A US hotel has opened its doors in Cuba for the first time since the Cuban Revolution swept Fidel Castro into power in 1959 - a milestone in a country that once rejected all things from the United States.

The Four Points by Sheraton hotel is accepting guests in the upscale neighborhood of Miramar, a suburb of Havana where embassies are located and where diplomats and much of the city's expat community live.

The Connecticut-based Starwood hotel chain signed management contracts with the Cuban government to operate three hotels on the island, with the Miramar property becoming the first to open its doors to the growing numbers of tourists visiting the island.

The hotel will not accept US based credit cards for payment however, because of financial restrictions imposed by the US trade embargo.

Also visitors from the US will have to sign an affidavit attesting they fall within the twelve categories accepted by the US Treasury Department for American travelers to Cuba.

Nonetheless, the opening marks another step in the growing relations between the US and Cuba, a process started by President Barack Obama in December 2014.

Related: American Air Now Selling Tickets For Flights To Cuba

US airlines will begin servicing the island with commercial flights later this year, bringing many more American visitors to Cuba.

Click here to read more about U.S.- Cuba Relations.