Hotel Casa Antigua — Hotel in Sacatepéquez

Common name, uncommon hotel

Couple in their mid 30s, early 40s. No kids.

Overall: Friendly, fun, very old, very antiguan hotel. With genuinely rustic rooms. Large enough space. Comfy beds. Small TV. Large bathroom. With lots of public places to sit and smell the many flowers.

We paid $112 for a Saturday night on semana santa (easter week), when the whole town gets extremely festive, putting elaborate flower/sawdust murals on the streets, and having daily processions marching jesus through the streets. Lots of fun.

Pros: -Cool, old building. -Great location, close to everything. -Bed was womfortable enough. No A.C, but strong/loud fan. -Awesome view from the rooftop terrace (tough to find in the back). We saw a volcano exploding (as you will). Super views. Bring a camera. -Lots of fun little quite areas to sit and read, or whatever. Beautiful gardens, flowers everywhere. -Breakfast served near reception, open area. Smelled good, but we headed right out. -Antigua brewery is right across the street. Open late (1am-ish). -Most employees spoke some English, but Spanish is definitely your best bet here. -They sell beers (and water and snacks) at the reception area for Q20 (I think). But not after 10pm.

Cons: -Slightly pricey. -Old rooms. Rustic. Has a old timey vibe. Some windows don’t close. -Very old door (forceful push would get you past the lock). -Couldn’t book a shuttle to lake Atitlan through hotel, but was able to through a travel company around the block. Ratings:

Location-A Safety-B+ (gets dark at night) Food-N/A (looked good) Bar/Restaurant-N/A Public Spaces: A- Room-B Bed-B Cleanliness-B+ Staff Friendliness-A Staff Knowledge-B Overall: B+

Random Tips: Try the breakfast. Don’t drink the water from the tap. Don’t brush your teeth either (I did, and was fine). Try all they street food. I was told not to, but it’s inexpensive and tasty and everyone around seems to be enjoying it. I never got sick, and ate with reckless abandon.

You can arrange a shuttle to pick you up from the airport for $50 (Q381). But you can get an uber for about $35 (Q260).

Warnings: If you bring a car to Antigua, which I highly highly recommend against, you will likely have to pay a guy to “watch” it, as I saw outside the hotel to anyone parking...

If you are looking for a traditional hotel in Antigua that is centrally located, this may be your place. What you need to know is that it shares similar characteristics to many of the hotels in the area. This type of hotel was once a traditional home with rooms centered around courtyards (I can't provide a reference here, this is just anecdotal information from 17 years of traveling to Antigua and staying in many different hotels. Although, ChatGPT did a great job describing what I believe is a traditional or antique home in Antigua). I stayed in room #4, not because I needed four beds, but it was the only room available. This is a great room in every sense of the word. It was most likely the living room as it is in the center of the hotel off the main courtyard/garden. That said, while it provides for an abundance of fresh air, which is often lacking in some of these types of hotel rooms, it is not insulated from the daily activities of the hotel, including guests coming and going, guests eating outside the room, or the chorus of birds that welcome the day for you precisely at the same time every day - no need for an alarm clock! This room has a high ceiling of traditional timber frames and dark wood, with a huge, ornate chandelier hanging in the center. It's beautiful! While the bathroom is simple, it's more than sufficient - the ample shower has hot water delivered to you using updated plumbing (no need to worry about getting electrocuted by a "widow maker" showerhead with exposed wires). I'm a pretty low-maintenance kind of guy when it comes to where we stay (although, my partner may disagree with me). If you are an independent, self-reliant traveler, that will spend most of your time outside of the hotel than inside, this hotel will...

If you are looking for a traditional hotel in Antigua that is centrally located, this may be your place. What you need to know is that it shares similar characteristics to many of the hotels in the area. This type of hotel was once a traditional home with rooms centered around courtyards (I can't provide a reference here, this is just anecdotal information from 17 years of traveling to Antigua and staying in many different hotels. Although, ChatGPT did a great job describing what I believe is a traditional or antique home in Antigua). I stayed in room #4, not because I needed four beds, but it was the only room available. This is a great room in every sense of the word. It was most likely the living room as it is in the center of the hotel off the main courtyard/garden. That said, while it provides for an abundance of fresh air, which is often lacking in some of these types of hotel rooms, it is not insulated from the daily activities of the hotel, including guests coming and going, guests eating outside the room, or the chorus of birds that welcome the day for you precisely at the same time every day - no need for an alarm clock! This room has a high ceiling of traditional timber frames and dark wood, with a huge, ornate chandelier hanging in the center. It's beautiful! While the bathroom is simple, it's more than sufficient - the ample shower has hot water delivered to you using updated plumbing (no need to worry about getting electrocuted by a "widow maker" showerhead with exposed wires). I'm a pretty low-maintenance kind of guy when it comes to where we stay (although, my partner may disagree with me). If you are an independent, self-reliant traveler, that will spend most of your time outside of the hotel than inside, this hotel will...