Hotel del Lago — Hotel in Cordillera Department

We stayed for two nights, a Sunday and Monday in the off season (April). The hotel is impossible to miss - just round the corner from the lakeside parking area and ‘beach’ it’s an imposing 19th century building set back from the road. Entering is like being transported back 100 years. Dark wood, period furniture, sepia photos and momentos from some of the people who stayed there in the 1930s eg Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. It’s all tastefully done but this doesn’t feel like a manufactured boutique hotel, it feels genuine. That may mean some quirky features and a bit of wear and tear but it feels genuinely unique.||Our room was large, with a high ceiling, tiled floor, lots of dark wood and shuttered windows leading to a shared balcony. It was clean and tastefully decorated. A nice touch was an area of the original wall decor from the 1880s behind a Perspex panel.||We were at the rear of the building facing away from the lake. However there are probably only a couple of rooms which could be termed lake-view and that would be a glimpse through the trees- the hotel isn’t actually situated right on the lake, but is the closest you’ll get in the small town centre.||There are a couple of cheeky peacocks in the grounds who are often sniffing around for food. I expected a dawn chorus from them but we heard nothing and slept well.||The hotel has a splendid dining room which again conjures up images of travelling back in time. Breakfast was included, and as we were the only guests, it was cooked to order, and was okay. The dining room was busy with locals on Sunday but on Monday, the only option was the outdoor pizza restaurant. This was a somewhat strange affair with no real menu, and a limited pizza choice. We opted to go into town where most of the restaurants were closed too but we managed to get a meal at Danny’s pizza which had a more extensive menu with details of each of the pizzas. ||The room was 50USD per night which is quite expensive for off-season Paraguay but we felt the room was worth it due to it being a unique and historic...

The most beautiful hotel I’ve ever visited. It’s a rambling old mansion surrounded with verandas with hammocks and filled with antiques, old photographs and objets d’art. Our room was delightful, with a Juliet balcony and our ensuite bathroom was in a turret. The dining room is elegant and grand. Soft guitar and piano music pours out onto the terraces and mixes with the exotic birdsong. The pool area is great with a view to the lake and there’s a botanical garden. If you’re lucky you’ll wake up to hear the most amazing dawn chorus. The only things that might disturb your reverie are the peacocks, ducks and rooster. Bonita, the cat, is a sweetie. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good and beautifully presented. I don’t think they serve dinner mid week but there are many cheap eating places in the town. Only downside here is the mosquitos from the lake but quite honestly it was worth every bite. San Bernardino is less than a couple of hours on two buses from Asuncion - easy to get here. If you want to stay somewhere very special, this...

Restaurant in a great old hotel overlooking a lovely lake . Hotel built in the late nineteenth century and very well maintained. In the restaurant very nice old photos tracing the history of the hotel and its founders . We arrived early for lunch but were very well looked after by a charming waitress . We had a beer and then ordered - the waitress insisting that the the kitchen was all ready . The ravioli were fine as was the chicken but the two steaks served were , to put it mildly , overcooked . Quite incredible since it was the first order of the day . Apologies all round , but appetite gone . ||However I do recommend a visit since the hotel is a jewel . Lots of history . And the rooms are very modern with all...