Guatemala Hostels & Hotels

A FEW SHOTS OF CASA AMARILLA (YELLOW HOUSE) HOSTEL

A small top floor courtyard.

Private room beds were large and quite comfortable. TV was optional and a bit more expensive. Rooms were pretty bright and spacious.

A small but open and functional area for eating or surfing the web, equipped with a hammock and good wifi.

A view from the rooftop courtyard.

The 1st floor open air common area including bar and sofas. A great place to meet people or even get work done.

Internet status: 
Download: lost data but was pretty good, over 6Mbps
Upload: lost data but was pretty good, over 1Mbps
Latency: lost data but was pretty good, under 60ms

Review:
One of the best run hostels I’ve been to, this place is well located, always cool and bordering on cold, super clean, and sports good Wifi everywhere that is generally pretty reliable. It can be loud depending on which rooms you get, but no matter which, you can’t escape the noise of the staff moving chairs and furniture around as they obsessively clean this place. It actually quite absurd how many times they clean per day. But their work pays off. The bathrooms are always clean. There are no private bathrooms even in the private rooms, but there’s hot water, and again, they are always clean. There’s a lovely rooftop lounge area with a view on 2 of Antigua’s volcanoes, one of which was erupting at the time we stayed there. The private rooms are quite comfortable, the beers are well priced, the breakfasts are quite good, and the staff helpful and nice. One of my better dorm experiences in a great town in the mountains of Guatemala, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything wrong with this place if you can deal with the noise in the late mornings.

Pros:
Extreme cleanliness
Social Atmosphere
Location
Good breakfast
Price
Multiple room options
Helpful staff
Good rooftop common area
Good wifi
Access to multiple activities

Cons:
Can be noisy in the morning due to cleaning staff
No kitchen use

A FEW SHOTS OF FINCA TATIN HOTEL

One of the bungalows, equipped with mosquito nets for the bed.

The common area is beautiful, made completely of wood and all open.

Internet status: 
Download: lost data but was essentially useless and only available after 6 or so in the evenings
Upload: lost data but was essentially useless and only available after 6 or so in the evenings
Latency: lost data but was essentially useless and only available after 6 or so in the evenings

Review: 
Finca Tatin is not quite a hostel. It’s a sort of eco-tourist mini resort of sorts. It’s a novelty experience and for that purpose special considerations need to be taken in reviewing it. First off, it’s at the edge of a dense jungle between Livingston and Rio Dulce. Not far from where the Rio Dulce river meets the Caribbean Sea. You can only get there by boat, and you land on its peer and get greeted, told the rules and shown your room. The concept is interesting. Everything you eat or drink or purchase you write down in the ledger and at the end of your stay you pay for it all, and that includes transport, any tours, etc. It’s based on the honor system. That immediately makes it unique and more friendly. In addition food and drinks are not overpriced, which is good considering you can’t just leave to grab a meal. You’re essentially stuck there for your stay, unless you want to take a jungle hike back to Livingston, which takes hours or a boat ride to one of the bars or restaurants on the river. The common area is all wood and is full of colorful hammocks and seats. It’s quite comfortable. All meals are served communally making for great opportunities to meet your fellow guests. It rains pretty much every night and sometimes even all day, but you’ll find yourself quite comfortable whether in the room or the common area. That being said, you are in a jungle which means plenty of critters. These include spiders, frogs, crickets, ants and all sorts of other little guys. Occasionally when it rains, armies of ants move through your hut. While it can be a bit intimidating, it’s also very interesting to watch a mass of insects pass through your temporary home. But be careful, these guys bit hard. Finca Tatin isn’t for everyone. It’s disconnected, isolated and requires you to be adaptable and open to the possibilities of what a jungle can offer. But if you can get over this, and the lack of activities, you’ll find it a relaxing break from your regular travel experiences. The rooms are well built, though additional fans would be appreciated. All come with mosquito nets and a well designed bathroom. Some huts (all of the accommodations are individual huts separated from any other by at least 15 meters, can accommodate a family while others are better for couples. There did appear to be a dorm style tower, but I don’t know if it was actually in use at the time. It’s a bit on the pricey side, and terrible for digital nomads, but for a weekend, you might find it one of the more memorable experiences of your trip. Just make sure to bring some of your own entertainment like cards, a book, a notepad, or other.

Pros:
Honor system for purchase of meals and drinks
Great common area with plenty of couches and hammocks
Communal meals
Access to the jungle, river, activities
Secluded
Different and quiet
Nice rooms and bathrooms
Mosquito nets

Cons:
Secluded
Bugs – be prepared, it’s the jungle after all
No kitchen use
Price
No external food or drinks
No electricity during the day
No usable wifi even when available
Small fans for the beds don’t do much