Hotel Nuestro Sueño

This hotel is off the beaten path. It is two villages south of Panahachel, so don’t underestimate the travel time. But once you are there, you are well cared for. The hotel is owned and run by Don Richard, an American who has lived in Guatemala for 30 years. His advice and assistance are priceless, and can make your trip all the more special. The hotel has beautiful views of the lake, and it’s iconic volcano. Our room overlooked the lake and volcano, but also a lively playground, soccer field and washing spot, so it offers a nice idea of daily life. It serves good food, and has lovely nooks and spaces to sit for a meal, a coffee, or relax with a book. While I was there, Richard helped my family with car service, a boat trip, and shared his wealth of understanding about the history of the country and it’s economy. Our stay here was a special treat.

Hotel Nuestro Sueno was a very safe, welcoming hotel with a gorgeous view. Come here for an authentic experience of Lake Atitlan. I borrowed a kayak for free for over an hour and it was one of the top 5 best travel experiences I’ve ever had. The lake is breathtaking! I was staying alone and my room was huge with 2 beds, one being a full, and a jacuzzi with a view of the water. I would say don’t underestimate the “off the beaten path” nature of San Antonio. It adds a step to any excursions you may want to do (you need to go into Panajachel to leave via boats to the islands with the popular activities.) That being said, when I did visit San Pedro and Panajachel to climb Volcan San Pedro, I IMMEDIATELY was extremely grateful to be staying at Hotel Nuestro Sueño in San Antonio. The vibe in San Pedro was totally sleazy and there’s no way I would have gotten the incredible waterfront location that I did here if I stayed there. Also taking a pickup from San Antonio to Pana was easy enough with a 2 min walk and 20-30 min pickup ride for less than $1 USD. San Antonio is minimally touristy, which is a pro, but also there are not a ton of restaurants or bars around, so I stuck to eating at this hotel and one down the road. At Hotel Nuestro Sueño I felt like family and was well attended to, but don’t expect to be waited on - feel free to ask for things and get to know the family who lives there for an very unique and worthwhile experience.

Be warned, hotel is in the a remote area of the lake, no attractions or restaurants in the town. We knew we would be a bit more isolated than say Panajachel but as the hotel advertised so many nice facilities we were excited to lounge around the hotel and enjoy the pool/gym/restaurants etc. The view of the lake is great but definitely consider other options. Service - this is a family hotel so service of staff is fairly poor. They were surprised to see us at check in (and we were the only guests during our entire stay). We felt as if we couldn’t use the common area without interrupting people in their home. Gym - severely broken equipment and caked in dust. Pool - stagnant and hidden in a dark corner of the room. We were afraid we would get ill using it as it didn’t look maintained. Restaurant - (only 1 not 2) slow service, limited menu and ingredients, only one in town so you have to make do. Other facilities - not “near the beach” there is no beach. No “coffee shop/Café”. “Wifi” was only available in lobby area and cut out every minute or so. Cleanliness - lounge had old popcorn machine with old popcorn in, trash in fire pit. Noise - be prepared for loud traffic/ residents music and a children’s playground from early hours to late. The windows/patio doors are not sealed so no break from outside noise or bugs. As nice as Richard was our overall experience was very disappointing. Very deceiving advertisement. Have more negatives than letters available