If you’re thinking about visiting Guatemala, Antigua is a must. From the cute cafes, ruins, to the volcano views there is so much to do here. I like to spend my days visiting Antigua walking around stumbling upon all the cafes tucked away with large courtyards. I have a whole itinerary here if you only have a short amount of time, check it out.
Since I wrote about things to do in Antigua let’s talk about places to stay.. more specifically hostels. If you’re planning on staying at a hotel or Airbnb this might not be the blog for you but my advice is make sure there are good reviews.
I want to start this blog out on a positive note so I’ll start with my favorites to least favorites. I’ve stayed at three so far but there are a few others I’ll mention that I haven’t stayed at but people I’ve met have recommended.
To date I would say my favorite hostel is a mix between Somos and Maya papaya but if I had to pick I would stay at Somos.
Somos is on the smaller side compared to other hostels but the amenities and vibes make up for that. When you walk in you’ll find a courtyard where all the rooms are. There’s a board with hostel actives that are going on every night. This activities range from salsa dancing to movie night. I’m so sad I missed out on the free salsa dancing lessons. Next time! The lounge/tv area is really cozy and the tv has Netflix which is a bonus! It’s cute seeing strangers sit together and enjoy a movie. There’s even a hammock.. we love those. Walk past the courtyard and through 2 doors you’ll find the bar area. The bar is cute and gets the job done, the volunteers are amazing at this hostel and we became great friends. There’s a hot tub next to the party.. something I’ve never seen in a hostel before. To answer the question even I asked, yes it’s clean. The kitchen is located above the hostel and the views are insane. It’s a really great kitchen and attached to it is a little roof top terrace. That’s actually why I picked this hostel. At night you can see the volcano rupture it’s seriously so cool (and a bit scary)
One night here is $11.87 for a 6-8 bed dorm
Next we have maya papaya - awarded the best hostel in North America by Hostelworld. I honestly see it, that’s why it was tied with Somos however I had more of a connection with the people at Somos and the terrace/volcano views sold me.
Maya papaya is one of the cleanest hostels I’ve been to. The vibe is adorable and I loved the bar area. There was a nice work room with plenty of seating if you’re looking for a hostel with a co working space this is your spot. There is also a game room and cute outdoor seating. The hostel is a bit big which can make it a bit difficult to meet people but when I went it was kinda empty and I wasn’t in the mood to make friends since I was so sad about leaving my friends in lake Atilan. The hostel can book any activities you need from shuttles to volcano hikes. The best feature about maya papya is the beds. I booked a 12 bedroom female dorm and felt like it was a 4-6 person dorm. The best were the comfiest hostel beds I’ve ever slept in. It was similar to a nice hotel bed. There are also curtains and personal lights with a shelf for your things, something every hostel should have! If you need a good nights rest on a budget, this is the spot!
One night here is $15.40
More recently I went to Antigua for the night and decided to get a room for myself, I decided to book in a hostel since they're super popular and plentiful in Antigua. I decided to try a new hostel since well, why not? I decided to try Barbara's boutique hostel since the private rooms were quite affordable compared to others I was looking at. My room cost me around $61 and the dorms started at $20. The private room was pretty large and had its own bathroom. The hostel had great, clean common areas and even a roof top terrace with volcano views. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. This hostel is located a street over from Somos so the location was also ideal to walk everywhere. Being my fourth time visiting Antigua I'm really surprised by the quality and quantity of the hostels there.
If you'd like to book here is the link
Although I’ve never stayed in this hostel when or if I go back to Antigua I will for sure be staying at Tropicana hostel. If party hostels are your thing or you’re looking to try one..this is your chance. There is a pool, bar, and tons of outdoor space to hang out with new buddies. The rooms have quite a few beds (12-15) but are super cheap. Staying at a party hostel I’m sure you’ll be coming in either super drunk, really late, or not even going home that night if you’re lucky;).. A lot of people love doing the Antigua bar crawl, although it’s for anyone majority of the people going on it are staying at that hostel. Which is definitely a plus having friends going on the bar crawl.
One night here is $15.40
I really only have disliked a few hostels in my life. Unfortunately Selina Antigua is one of those.. for a few reasons. I might’ve had high expectations going in knowing Selina is one of the most known hostel chains. The rooms and amenities just aren’t the nice nor clean. The biggest turn off was the amount of local families hanging around the grounds. I don’t mean for this to sound rude but when I first got there the hostel was having a reagton party. I was so excited but when I went to the bar it was a bunch of 16 year olds hanging out. While I was at the bar I just kept getting hit on my local men and I wasn’t too comfortable. Even the older men cleaning the grounds made me a bit uncomfortable. I’m just happy I got a private room here to be honest. I would not recommend staying here.
I’m not going to plug the link because I don’t support them lol.
Although the reviews for Why Not Hotel were quite good I really hated my stay here. The only positive for this hostel/hotel was the affordable private room coming in around $30 however, it was smelly and quite gross. The hostel is so loud. I was woken up multiple times by people talking loud and throwing up. The bed was also awfully uncomfortable. The location is nice but Antigua is walkable I'd chose any other hostel really. Don't waste your time staying here, move on to another.
Overall, Antigua is a great stop while traveling around Guatemala and I highly recommend it. I'll keep adding on to this blog as I travel more and more since I'm going to spend the next 3 months in El Paredon!
Adios Amigos!
Commenti