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Home sweet hotel.
Picking a place to stay while on vacation can be a complicated affair.
While most people book their accommodations far in advance, those of us who travel at the last minute, make decisions based mostly on availability with some input from friends and colleagues, who may have traveled there before, or from hotel and travel websites listing amenities, location and price. Often, I have booked my hotels while standing in the airplane’s jetbridge, boarding my flight or once I am sitting on my flight enroute (praying that WIFI is working) to my destination.
Regardless of when you have booked your room, however, you never know exactly what you are going to get until you actually get there.
After making the decision to travel to Antigua, Guatemala and learning that we would indeed have a seat on the flight, I booked my hotel from the gate before the embarkation process. Using a widely known hotel-booking site, I based my decision on some of the included pictures and price. A few blocks away from the city-center, this particular hotel didn’t appear to be a far walk and it was adjacent to the artisan market and a grocery store. It was Holy Week in the city and many of the hotel prices were inflated due to the influx of visitors to the city. This hotel, however, was still affordable, even though a little more than I had expected to pay, knowing that Antigua’s lodging prices are usually relatively inexpensive.
After our interesting journey from Guatemala City to Antigua, I wasn’t sure that luck was on our side on the day of our arrival, and I was worried about what we would find waiting for us. When we arrived at a wall with the name of our hotel near a doorway, I wasn’t sure what to think. Pressing the button to alert the staff of our arrival, a small window in the wooden door opened up and a face appeared in the opening.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, we made a reservation earlier in the day?”
“Of course, we were wondering about your arrival time.”
The large, wooden door was unbolted and opened, allowing our access in to a peaceful courtyard.
There was a soothing fountain to our right as we approached the outdoor, front desk and many tables with umbrellas in the courtyard, where I assumed the included breakfast was served.
After our check-in process was completed, we were then escorted through the another courtyard, again with many tables, into a colorful sitting area. Our room was a few feet away and there was a small sitting area just outside our doorway, as well.
Having upgraded to a room with two beds, our space was decently sized, very modern and extremely clean. The simple white linens were highlighted with a dashes of deep colors and dark-stained, reclaimed wood.
The bathroom was immaculate with tile and colored concrete throughout. The most interesting thing, however, was that near the ceiling on the outside wall, the room was open instead of being vented. Hearing the birds chirp while taking a shower or getting dressed was so refreshing…you just had to remember to keep the door closed so as not to let the coolness from the air conditioner escape.
To the right of the bathroom was a sliding door with a small courtyard. Although we could not look out at the city, it was nice to take a seat here and enjoy a drink in the evening or just peek out at the sky in the morning to see what kind of weather was in store for us.
The staff was extremely kind and quick to assist us with booking a trip to the nearby Pataya volcano and with any questions we had regarding the city’s attractions, eating establishments and our return trip to Guatemala City on our final day.
Though our room was not equipped with a small fridge (something I usually look for), the staff eagerly stored some things that we had purchased at the grocery store that needed refrigeration.
We loved talking to the members of the staff who spoke English and I think that they too enjoyed practicing their linguistics each day.
The best part of this awesome little hotel was the breakfast! Each morning, my son and I would step out into the courtyard and order from the small menu that offered about ten different items, from pancakes to omelets…even papusas! These amazing meals were topped off with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and sometimes a cup of a local-type of oatmeal…part drink and part meal…I never quite understood what it was, only that it was delicious, as was everything we consumed here.
Because of the travel with my job, I have become so used to the apathetic approach from the staff of the large hotels that I stay in, that it was so touching to see all of the effort that this hotel put forth to make their guests’ stays enjoyable.
When we decided to stay an extra night, knowing the hotel was full, we began to look around the city to find an alternative. The young lady who worked the front desk during the day, began making calls to confirm the soon-to-be-arriving guests and found that a room had actually become available. Our bags were stored as we left that morning and when we arrived that afternoon, we were shown to our new room, where our bags were waiting for us. This room was appointed much like our first, however, only with one bed but with a small balcony facing the front courtyard on the upper floor.
On our first night, we experienced a small earthquake shortly after retiring for the evening. The owner of the hotel was spotted making his way around, making sure that everything and everyone was okay. Probably suspecting that it was our first earthquake, he made a point of making sure that we were fine the next day. In fact, we came to enjoy our conversations with the owner. A friendly man, he was often spotted speaking with many of the guests while attending to his duties.
On our second day, after seeing one of the first of the Holy Week processions that draw thousands of visitors every year, the evening before, we were inquiring about a schedule for these events. He told me that the evening’s processions would not be arriving near the park until around 9:00 pm. Taking our time to get dressed for dinner, we heard a frantic knock on our door. Opening it, we discovered it to be the owner telling us to “Come quick!” The procession was already heading down our street, much earlier than he had stated that afternoon. Slipping on our shoes and heading out to the corner, with still-wet hair, the owner accompanied us, obviously enjoying our delight in the festivities.
Can I say that this has ever happened to me at another hotel that I have stayed in?
Absolutely not.
My husband, an extremely frequent traveler and a high-status member at a world-wide hotel chain, was amazed to hear my stories of this amazing little hotel. I am quite sure that there are many hotels throughout the world that duplicate this kind of service and I have experienced some that have come close. I must admit, however, that if…no…when I return to Antigua, I will be staying at the Hotel Posada de la Luna again.
I assure you…it will not feel like returning to just another hotel.
It will definitely feel like returning home.
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Hotel Posada de la Luna
- https://www.hotelposadadelalunagt.com/#!
- Address: Avenida del Espíritu Santo, No. 22 B, La Antigua Guatemala
- Nightly rates: Varies, from approximately $60-$136 per night depending on number of beds requested and time of year.
- Getting There: Colectivo service or taxi from Guatemala City.