Hotelito Perdido — Hotel in Lívingston

This is what I really liked about the place: It’s very quiet and embedded in amazing nature. The location is incredible on a side river off the Rio Dulce. It’s not easy to get to, but I didn’t mind that, it was part of the appeal. The actual accommodation is great, well built little huts spread around lush jungle garden, stylish hammocks and bright textiles. Kind of an upmarket hostel feel. There’s a yoga space and a platform right on the river to lay in a hammock. The appeal is very much for a laid back younger set of travellers, although it’s not backpacker budget price really. ||The evening meal is served in a large communal area around a big table. It is a simple vegetarian meal and fairly ok. There’s no choice. The local ladies in the kitchen are preparing to a set of a recipes for the visitors, so it’s not really typical Guatemalan food. There is a choice for breakfast. ||||And this is what I didn’t like about the place. The Hotelito has a new owner from the States. Before travelling there I had spent time booking/communicating with a lady who has sold the business in its entirety. The new owner seems to see it mainly as a business opportunity. He seems a little out of place, speaking no Spanish and is not the kind of person you might immediately associate with running a kind of eco-friendly type hotel in the jungle. There was just a bit of a weird vibe as I believe it was a totally new enterprise for him and he did not seem like a natural in the hospitality business. He is busy building extra massage rooms and making ‘capital improvements’. ||Price wise everything adds up at the Hotelito. You fill out a charge sheet as you go along with any meals, coffees or beers you drink or if you use the Kayaks. Bear in mind you can’t leave without paying a boat trip to Livingston or Rio Dulce or paddling there in a Kayak. ||I was a bit fed up at having to pay for a fourth night even though I explained on arrival we would be leaving after three nights. ||I booked initially four nights but we wanted to leave a day earlier and had to pay the extra night nevertheless which is fair enough, but it wasn’t totally necessary as there were plenty of other guests arriving. ||I had the same situation in other places where we stayed before and we weren’t charged when changing our plans. ||The place uses foreign volunteers who stay there and help out acting as a bit of a bridge between the local Mayan staff (who were all lovely, especially the nice guy who does the gardens) and the guests. The young girl who was there when we visited was lovely and super helpful but had decided to leave her volunteering early because of the changes in ownership and general atmosphere etc of the place. She is interested in sustainable tourism but decided to leave when we did, cutting short her time there. ||There seem to be a lot of big changes going on at the Hotelito ||It is foreseeable that these steps will have a big impact on the tranquility and charm of the place and it may indeed lose its way. ||I was quite glad to leave and...

This is what I really liked about the place: It’s very quiet and embedded in amazing nature. The location is incredible on a side river off the Rio Dulce. It’s not easy to get to, but I didn’t mind that, it was part of the appeal. The actual accommodation is great, well built little huts spread around lush jungle garden, stylish hammocks and bright textiles. Kind of an upmarket hostel feel. There’s a yoga space and a platform right on the river to lay in a hammock. The appeal is very much for a laid back younger set of travellers, although it’s not backpacker budget price really. The evening meal is served in a large communal area around a big table. It is a simple vegetarian meal and fairly ok. There’s no choice. The local ladies in the kitchen are preparing to a set of a recipes for the visitors, so it’s not really typical Guatemalan food. There is a choice for breakfast.

And this is what I didn’t like about the place. The Hotelito has a new owner from the States. Before travelling there I had spent time booking/communicating with a lady who has sold the business in its entirety. The new owner seems to see it mainly as a business opportunity. He seems a little out of place, speaking no Spanish and is not the kind of person you might immediately associate with running a kind of eco-friendly type hotel in the jungle. There was just a bit of a weird vibe as I believe it was a totally new enterprise for him and he did not seem like a natural in the hospitality business. He is busy building extra massage rooms and making ‘capital improvements’. Price wise everything adds up at the Hotelito. You fill out a charge sheet as you go along with any meals, coffees or beers you drink or if you use the Kayaks. Bear in mind you can’t leave without paying a boat trip to Livingston or Rio Dulce or paddling there in a Kayak. I was a bit fed up at having to pay for a fourth night even though I explained on arrival we would be leaving after three nights. I booked initially four nights but we wanted to leave a day earlier and had to pay the extra night nevertheless which is fair enough, but it wasn’t totally necessary as there were plenty of other guests arriving. I had the same situation in other places where we stayed before and we weren’t charged when changing our plans. The place uses foreign volunteers who stay there and help out acting as a bit of a bridge between the local Mayan staff (who were all lovely, especially the nice guy who does the gardens) and the guests. The young girl who was there when we visited was lovely and super helpful but had decided to leave her volunteering early because of the changes in ownership and general atmosphere etc of the place. She is interested in sustainable tourism but decided to leave when we did, cutting short her time there. There seem to be a lot of big changes going on at the Hotelito It is foreseeable that these steps will have a big impact on the tranquility and charm of the place and it may indeed lose its way. I was quite glad to leave and...

A jungle escape where the most important things on the menu is swinging in a hammock next to the river and enlightening conversations over a delicious family dinner. But don't worry, there are plenty of things to do.

There is a yoga space to center yourself when your "hammock meditation" gets a bit guilt-ridden. I highly recommend slathering yourself in sunscreen and kayaking for a day to explore the river tributaries. We saw inguanas in the trees, turtles, and loads of different birds. After that you'lll need a Mayan massage, obviously. Their masseuse was excellent at finding knots and working them out. A long day on the river deserves a little treat. The handmade chocolates at Hotelito Perdido are incredible, and I wish I actually took the chocolate making workshop so I can make some more at home. Oh, and the bread. Wow, I would love one of those ginormous sandwiches, right now.

The rooms are amazing. We stayed in Zapote, a palm-roofed cabin with a couple of hammocks on the private porch, if you want some alone time. The bed was comfortable and I loved sleeping under a mosquito net with the jungle sounds all around. Hotelito Perdido also has shared rooms for solo travelers and the communal spaces are great.

It's a pretty isolated spot, so the Wi-Fi wasn't great. I would not recommend trying to do remote work here. Hotelito Perdido is a place where you get away from that and connect with nature. Pack away the laptop and watch the crabs in the mangrove do their mesmerizing little crab-claw dance....