We came with a group of friends each room had a unique charm, loved the setting. The food was great all in all a gem.
- Free parking
- Pool
We came with a group of friends each room had a unique charm, loved the setting. The food was great all in all a gem.
I have stayed in wonderful places and I can say this is the most beautiful property of them all. We were here as part of the Caravan tour. I didn't want to leave. The gardens are simply incredible. Everywhere you look is more beauty. My room was delightful. I will post a couple of photos soon. The lake and volcanoes -- I just can't overstate how much I loved this hotel.
We had been driving from Antigua for a few hours after a morning there. Our guide took us into Panajachel for a drive-around.......the appearance I got was that it was a town quite full of tourists and time warp hippie types......certainly a charming look to it in places.....colorful in a way.....the shops looked a little ordinary. After a drive around in town our driver and guide took us to the Hotel Atitlan....which in contrast to the town was a welcome sight. The property is clean and the gardens are really special....and as mentioned often before in previous reviews.....the views of the lake are really special. We had a nice room, convenient to the lobby and restaurant......clean with a safe in the room....nice bathroom and a nice little sitting balcony overlooking the flower and hedge gardens and the pool and an small infinity pool which also had a whirlpool feature; quite a few guests were using each pool. Wifi available for a $10 additional charge, and it worked well enough. We sat out and had a cocktail on the pool deck in the afternoon and watched dusk set in. There was a moderate level of business......very pleasant. The service is enthusiastic and prompt in the restaurant and lounge. We didn't bother to return to the town......just spent the evening in the hotel.....had dinner and chatted for quite a while with some of the wait staff. Very friendly and we were able to learn quite a lot about the area by chatting with them. The English in the hotel is sufficient to do a basic level of business. I speak Spanish so we had no communications issues. The staff, overall are helpful but not overly friendly......perhaps by design. The food was good but not great.......the atmosphere was comfortable. I had read some comments from others about "rip offs". I thought the prices were a little at the high end of what was available.....but certainly not a problem. I had one incident when I was checking out when I noticed a charge which I did not recognize.......the reception clerk went through some gyrations, finally getting someone from the restaurant to come into the reception, unable to find an invoice.....which of course did not exist with my signature on it.......it was all very polite....I am not sure whether it was a mistake or a modus operandi......I will never know. The waiter who came in from the restaurant did not make eye contact with me at all.....so??? Who knows? It was somebody's breakfast charge mistakenly or deliberately charged to me or it was not. A little strange......but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was an error. We did enjoy this property a great deal and would recommend it to anyone.
Hotel Atitlan has clean rooms, nice bathrooms, wonderful views, and gorgeous grounds - all for a great price. The rooms are clean, safe, and with outstanding views of the lake and volcanos. Very romantic. When reading other reviews, I almost vetoed it because of the concerns with petty theft. Thankfully, we didn't experience these problems, but do not doubt that they have occurred. The grounds are meticulously maintained with macaws, toucans, and peacocks roaming about - worth an hour exploring and, quite literally, smelling the roses.
Now with the bad. When on the grounds of the Hotel, I always felt as though we were being ripped off. Everything from the paintings on the wall, to the food, to the gift shop are overpriced. The hotel itself is about a 15 minute walk to the town (where you can shop, eat, and grab boats to take you to neighboring towns - a must). The hotel offers a boat, but charges over 10 times the amount that you can bargain for when in Pana. They also offer a tuk tuk (small moped / taxi) for 10Q (about $1.50 per person) to take into town (Pana) - which is a great deal. Just don't tell the driver that you are looking for a boat, as he seemingly has friends in Pana who will ultimately rip you off. Just tell him to take you into town.
Other than those concerns, its a great place. I would take the above into mind and still book Hotel Atitlan if I could do it over again.
We've visited the hotel every year for 6 years and this was a real let down. The hotel is surrounded by a spectacular botanical garden with peacocks and parrots. The views of the lake are almost spiritual but no credit to the hotel. The service in the restaurant was painfully slow on every occasion we dined there. The staff seemed indifferent and were busier visiting with one another than working the floor. One meal had to be returned, the fish was awful, seemed it was frozen, thawed, and refrozen. The chef concurred with our analysis. The menu needs re-vamping. It's tired. We asked for a mocha and even though they have coffee on the menu and hot chocolate on the menu they said they could not offer us a mocha. really? No manager anywhere to be seen. The roof is missing over the entrance and the rest of the roof has weeds growing out of it. The impression is that the hotel has been neglected. And the final straw is the price - too high for what it is. They don't even include wireless internet, there is a surcharge for this. Sorry, it was once the best place on the lake, not anymore. Go for a drink, tour the garden and stay somewhere else.
This quaint hotel is on the beautiful Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. The owner has the most beautiful gardens surrounding this property. There are macaws in the tree outside your room, peacocks roaming the grounds, many other birds cheerfully greeting you each morning and spectacular gardens to take an afternoon stroll in. The lake is surrounded by 3 large volcanoes and has several boat tours available for your enjoyment. Frequently you will see ads for 'lovely gardens', but this one is accurate. Getting there is an adventure as well. Especially if you are in a large tour bus! The rooms are large and comfortable, all with a private balcony, and views of the lake. There is a great pool and hot tub, but it does close early at 6:00 PM. Don't miss staying here for a few nights if you are in this area of Guatemala.