Finding an affordable but also charming place to stay in Antigua can be frustrating. The city has some really gorgeous hotels and hostels with loads of character, but there are also lots of duds. Knowing which ones are the real gems can make your visit to Antigua even more special than if your accommodations were average or less than average.

In this article, I’m going to share with you the 5 best places to stay in Antigua based on my month-long stay in the city. Some of the places I listed are ideal for those backpacking through Guatemala, while others are for those wanting a bit more comfort in their digs. I stayed in ALL of the places I’m recommending.

My criteria for choosing where to stay in Antigua:

• stunning views of the volcanoes
• loads of character and charm
• within walking distance of the main square
• clean
• a good price for what you get

Here are my 5 recommendations for THE best places to stay in Antigua (click on the link to jump to my review):

1. El Meson de Maria – mid-range and full of character, great location, and a yummy breakfast
2. Arte y Hotel – budget to mid-range, full of character and fab owner
3. Earth Lodge – budget to mid-range outside of Antigua, beautiful views
4. The Purpose – hostel with THE best volcano views
5. Hotel Casa del Cerro – budget hotel; clean and inexpensive for Antigua

Check out my 2022-2023 Guatemala Travel Guide for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration for visiting the land of eternal spring. You’ll find over 15 travel articles to help you explore the history, culture, food, and natural beauty of Guatemala.

A. Best Mid-range Hotels in Antigua

During my month-long stay in Antigua, I stayed at 3 terrific mid-range hotels. All of them were super comfortable and had loads of character.

1. Hotel El Meson de Maria

• COST: They offer rooms at a variety of price points; the cheapest rooms are US$40’s – $50’s
• TYPE: hotel
• PRO: beautiful, comfortable, clean, stylish, centrally-located, free delicious breakfast, professional staff
• CONS: WiFi is on the slow side
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: Booking.com | Agoda

Have you ever stayed in a place that was better than the photos used on booking websites?

Rarely, right?

Usually, the reality is worse than what is advertised.

But with El Meson de Maria, the photos online do not do the hotel justice. This is one drop-dead gorgeous hotel located smack dab in the historic center of Antigua. Plus, it’s at a reasonable price.

Elegant and stylish décor and ambiance/vibe

What makes this hotel so special is that it oozes character and style. Whoever decorated the hotel has great taste and a very keen eye for detail.

Every little nook and cranny must have been carefully planned out. You’ll find wonderful and quirky antiques in different corners of the hotel: an antique stove, an antique dentist’s chair, and an old wooden chest.

The rooms are located around the outside of a central courtyard, where people have breakfast. There are smaller courtyards as well.

Along the walls, there are comfortable sofas and chairs that aren’t just for decoration. You can sit outside your room in a comfy chair or sofa and relax, work, or socialize.

The highlight is the rooftop terrace with its 360-degree views of Antigua and its 3 volcanoes. You can watch El Fuego erupt at all hours of the day.

Elegant, comfortable, and spacious rooms

Even though I stayed in the least expensive room in the hotel, my room was elegant, comfortable, and spacious.

You get a large, comfortable bed with two nightstands. Lots of soft lighting that gives the room a comfortable and cozy feel.

There’s a large wooden armoire where you can put your clothes.

They also have safe deposit boxes in the room.

The bathroom is a decent size with enough counter space to place your toiletries. The shower does have hot water. And you get nice fluffy towels.

An added bonus is a window! When you’re traveling on a budget, a window is a rarity.

Central location is perfect for solo travelers

Out of all my favorite hotels in Antigua, El Meson de Maria has the best location. It’s close to some of the best sights in Antigua: a block from the central square, a block from the famous Arch of Antigua, and two blocks from the street food market.

As a solo female traveler, I love its central location. The streets near the hotel are always filled with people. I can easily walk around at night, visiting cafes, bars, and restaurants, or just hanging out in the central square taking photos and people-watching.

Free breakfast

You also get a FREE breakfast of either pancakes or a typical Guatemalan breakfast. The pancakes come with lots of fruit, jam, butter, syrup, and a glass of juice. The best pancakes I’ve had in Guatemala.

Is the WiFi good?

The WiFi is slow compared to other places to stay in Antigua. I didn’t have to do any teaching when I was there, but if I had, I’m not sure if I would have been able to have a smooth Zoom experience. I overheard another person struggle with getting a Zoom connection.

Reasonably priced

Because I am at a Genius Level 2 on Booking.com, I got a free upgrade from a standard room to a superior room. At the time I paid only US$44 for a room that would normally be priced at over $60.

A great place to stay in Antigua for mid-range travelers

Overall, El Maison de Maria is one of the best places to stay in Antigua. It’s a really good deal. It’s great for solo travelers who aren’t on a tight budget.

2. Arte y Hotel

• COST: US$31 for a single room with a private bath – US$44 for a room with 1 double bed and private bath
• TYPE: private rooms
• PROS: very stylish and new hotel; beautiful artwork on the walls; lots of special touches like free earplugs and air purifiers in the room; an outdoor garden to relax in; kitchen; the owner is friendly and helpful
• CONS: Windows just open up into the hotel and not into the open air
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: Booking.com | Agoda

If I ever go back to Antigua, Arte y Hotel is the place where I would stay. I just loved this stylish and unique hotel so much that I need to stay in it at least one more time.

Colorful and artistic decor

At Arte y Hotel it’s all about the art. Art is everywhere. There are colorful pictures painted onto the walls in the hallway, above doorways, in the garden, in your room, in your bathroom… It makes the hotel special, like no other hotel you’ve stayed at.

The entrance to the hotel is kind of quirky—you need to walk through a convenience store! In the end, it turns out to be pretty convenient since if you need to buy snacks or drinks, everything is right there.

The rest of the hotel is long and narrow. You walk down a hallway covered in art and lined with sofas and chairs and tables.

There’s a kitchen that serves coffee 24/7 and has free filtered water that you can take to refill your water bottle. The hotel serves breakfast in the morning.

At the back of the hotel is a cool outdoor space with tables and chairs and sofas for relaxing or eating or working or studying. You can see El Fuego and Acatenango from the garden.

Beautiful, stylish, clean, and comfortable rooms

The rooms are comfortable, stylish, and colorful. And oh so clean! It’s a new hotel, so the rooms feel like you’re the first person to sleep in them.

Painted on the walls in my room was a tree with birds and flowers.

The photos make the room look smaller than it really is. In fact, I thought it felt spacious, perhaps because there were sufficient compartments to store my luggage so it was out of the way.

It has two things I look for in a room: clean white sheets and a bedside lamp with a soft light that gives off a nice comfy vibe. I can also use the light to read before going to bed and to click on if I need to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or if I hear a noise in the middle of the night and need to see what’s going on.

The room is filled with all these cute little special touches like an air purifier, snacks, body lotion, earplugs, disinfectant spray, mosquito swatter, and a hairdryer.

The bathroom was clean and had plenty of space to put one’s toiletries. The walls of the bathroom were also covered in artwork.

Location

The hotel is located in the eastern part of the city not far from the main square. There are tons of restaurants and bars nearby. It’s a very active street, so I felt safe walking around in the evening.

It’s also close to a lot of popular sights in Antigua such as the museums at the Hotel Santo Domingo and 3 of the best

On the 3^rd floor is the Sky Bar, a bar with great views of the city and volcanoes. They also have good Happy Hour prices for mixed drinks.

Is it noisy?

You might be concerned that with the Sky Bar on the rooftop of this hotel it would be noisy. The bar closes at 9:00 pm and it doesn’t play loud music. I never heard any noise from the bar when I was in my room or when I was in the garden.

However, when I was there, Antigua had a COVID curfew so restaurants and bars had to close early. Will it be different when the curfew is lifted? I don’t know, to be honest.

I have read some reviews in which people complain about the noise in the morning from the restaurant.

Friendly and welcome staff and owner

Here’s an example of how great the staff is:

When I arrived, there was a power outage in the neighborhood. It’s Antigua so you’ve got to get used to things like that. So, the lights were out in my room, but they gave me a battery-powered lamp to use until they turned back, which they did 3 hours later. I like that they were so attentive as to make sure I could see at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Also, the owner, Gustavo, is just wonderful. Before I even arrived, he sent me a WhatsApp message with info about the hotel and photos, and a video of my room. I heard from another guest that when they arrived, he gave them tours of the city.

Is breakfast included?

Breakfast is not included in the price, but they do serve it in the morning for guests.

I left at 6:00 am for a shuttle to Flores, so I’m not sure what the breakfast is like.

There is free coffee and tea.

The WiFi is great

The WiFi worked pretty well—reliable and fast for Guatemala.

Great hotel for solo travelers

This small stylish hotel is perfect for the solo female traveler.

It’s in a safe location, has a friendly and helpful staff and owner, and it feels very secure.

A great place to stay in Antigua for solo travelers and mid-range travelers

Overall, Arte y Hotel is a great place for a solo traveler if he or she can get a single room. Book ahead for this one as it fills up fast. It’s also a great place to stay in Antigua for those whose budget allows them to spend around US$40 or $50 a night.

3. Earth Lodge

• COST: US$35
• PROS: the views, the property, bathrooms, overall the staff were good; good price for what you get
• CONS: you have to trek down a steep slope to get to the lodge and then walk up when leaving; it’s not locally owned and they hire mostly foreign workers instead of locals; not many staff follow COVID safety protocols;
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: booking.com | Agoda

If you’re staying for several days in Antigua, set aside 2 days to stay at Earth Lodge.  to enjoy its peace and quiet and its beautiful views overlooking Antigua and the volcanoes.

Getting to the Lodge is hard but worth it

Earth Lodge is located 6 kilometers from Antigua. You can take an Uber to get there or have the Lodge arrange transportation for you. I took an Uber and it cost me Q37 (US$5).

It took at least 30 minutes due to traffic and narrow windy roads. Arranging transport through the Lodge will cost Q50 (US$7), which is what I did for my ride back to Antigua. In the end, I preferred getting there by Uber.

Here’s the thing I didn’t like:

Once the Uber drops you off, it’s quite a trek of 500 meters down a steep slope to the lodge. It’s a combination of stairs and no stairs, an unpaved path, and a paved path. I have a bad knee so the walks down and back up were really hard. However, if I can make it, so can you.

The hotel will arrange for someone to meet you where the taxi drops you off and take your bags down for a fee.

To get back to Antigua, I had the Lodge arrange a ride for me, which I don’t recommend. It turned out that hiring an Uber yourself to come to pick you up is cheaper and faster than having the lodge do it for you.

A hotel set in a tranquil place with stunning views

The main reason to stay here is for its setting. The hotel is located high above the cities of Antigua and Jocotanenago. You can see the cities below. It’s especially beautiful to see them all lit up at night. Across the valley are the 3 volcanoes of El Fuego, Acatenango, and Agua.

You’re also surrounded completely by nature. The only sounds are those of dogs in the nearby village barking and chickens and roosters in the morning.

The property has a restaurant with a fireplace and an outdoor seating area with hammocks and lots of places to relax or work on your computer.

There is a yoga studio as well as a playground for children.

You’ll also find hiking trails around the property.

A room in a “treehouse”

You won’t find one large building containing hotel rooms. Instead, each room is in its own separate structure—like a little trees house! Not exactly a treehouse but the rooms are cabins built on stilts and you need to climb up a ladder to get to yours.  It’s so cool!

Mine had a little deck with two separate rooms. One was the bedroom and the other was the bathroom.

The deck had space to sit and look at the valley below and the volcanoes across the way.

The bedroom had 2 beds and a desk. This would be perfect for a couple or two friends. There was plenty of storage space and lighting. I also liked that there was nice soft lighting by the bed so you could read in bed or easily turn on the light in the middle of the night. The soft light also gives the room a cozy feel to it.

The bathroom was large with lots of space to put your toiletries. The towels were soft and large. The shower actually had hot water.

My favorite part was the huge window with views of Acatenango and El Fuego. I woke up to use the bathroom at 5:00 am and I could watch El Fuego erupt and the lava rolls down the top of the volcano from the bathroom window.

Friendly and helpful staff

Except for one guy who was incredibly unfriendly and seemed resentful all the time, the staff and owner were very friendly and helpful.

The food is hit or miss

Earth Lodge is far from Antigua, so you’ll most likely have all your meals there. Food was a hit or miss. They have specials during dinner. That night they were serving lasagna and it wasn’t very good.

But my breakfast of yogurt and fruit and my lunch of a burger and fries were both delicious. However, the three meals I ate there cost more than my room!

Earth Lodge is a perfect retreat from the city

If you have a couple of days to spare, a stay at Earth Lodge is perfect.

Pro Tip: If you’re traveling to Guatemala, make sure to have BOTH Google Maps AND Maps.Me on your phone. Both of them have pros and cons and they’re both the most USEFUL apps for travel. Google Maps is great for reviews of restaurants and hotels. Plus, it works on your desktop or laptop. However, Maps.Me has more routes and roads that Google does not have for countries like those in Central America.

Budget Hotels and Hostels in Antigua

Antigua has loads of hostels to choose from, so finding a dorm room is easy. However, if you want a private room in a hostel, it’s hard to find one at the last minute as they fill up fast. They also tend not to be cheaper than a room at a hotel. However, with hostels, you get more of a chance to meet other people, which is great for solo travelers. Staff also tends to be more knowledgeable than those at budget hotels.

I stayed in three budget hotels and hostels when I was in Antigua: The Purpose, Yellow House, and Casa de Cerro.  I recommend The Purpose hostel and Casa del Cerro for those who need an inexpensive but clean private room.

4. The Purpose Hostel

• COST: US$40 for a private room; $16 for a bed a 6-person dorm room
• TYPE: Hostel with dorms and private rooms; NOT a party hostel
• PROS: Newer and more modern; friendly staff that with loads of useful information; a very comfortable rooftop terrace with stunning views of all three volcanos; lots of spaces to
• CONS: Expensive, bathrooms aren’t good; location is good during the day but not as great in the evening
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: booking.com | Agoda | Hostel World

I was very fortunate to have chosen The Purpose as the first place I stayed in Antigua. Although it has its downsides, I think it’s still one of the better hostels in the city. It has comfy private rooms and an amazing view of the volcanoes from its rooftop terrace.

The Purpose is particularly good for solo travelers, not-so-young travelers, and people who’ve just arrived in Guatemala. It’s safe and the staff is very kind, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Here’s my honest review of The Purpose Hostel, including its pros and cons.

A hostel with tons of amenities

These are the things I look for in a hostel:

• Loads of easily accessible travel info
• A kitchen
• Great common space to meet people
• Clean rooms with lots of storage and a bedside lamp
• Spacious bathrooms with clean toilets, showers, and sinks
• A place to relax outside

The Purpose has all of that except for the large bathrooms.

There are three common spaces: a courtyard on the first floor, a workspace with desks and outlets to plug in your electronics on the second floor, and the best rooftop terrace in Antigua.

Rooftop Terrace is THE BEST in the city

The rooftop terrace is the highlight of this hostel. It has loads of comfy places to sit and even space for doing yoga.

But the piece de resistance is the 360-degree view of Antigua AND the three volcanoes: Agua, El Fuego, and Acatenango. Because it’s in the southern part of the city and the 3 volcanoes are south of the city, you get a better view of the volcanoes than you do from other hostels in Antigua.

During the day, you can see El Fuego erupt and spurt ash out from its top.

In the evening, you can sometimes see lava come out and roll down the side of the volcano. It’s so cool!

Well-stocked kitchen with a quirky added bonus

Having a kitchen in a hostel is a huge plus and The Purpose has one that is filled with lots of pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and equipment.

They also have free tea and coffee all day long! So nice if you’re an early riser or taking an early morning bus.

The one thing they don’t have is a sink. A bit odd, don’t you think? BUT that means you NEVER have to do your own dishes.

Yes, that’s right.

You just leave your dirty dishes in a plastic container and the staff does them for you. So, it turns into an unexpected bonus in the end.

Very Comfy and spacious private rooms

The Purpose has both private rooms with shared baths and dorms.

I stayed in a private room. The room was clean and comfortable, and it had lots of space to store my things. The moment I entered the room, I thought of IKEA.  

For me, a room needs to have two things: white sheets so you can tell if the bed is dirty or not AND a bedside lamp that gives off a nice warm comfy glow to the room and that you can easily read a book while in bed or turn on in the middle of the night in case you hear a noise or you need to go to the bathroom. The room at The Purpose had both, so I was very happy.

Another thing I liked about rooms at this hostel was the many places to store things. They had a place to hang clothes, several shelves, a desk, and a cupboard to lock up your things.

They had these cute Christmas lights strung up along the back of my bed. They were cute but I had to unplug them if I wanted to plug in my phone and use the bedside lamp at the same time. Still, I liked the nice comfy glow that the lights gave to the room.

Dorm Rooms

The dorm rooms are pretty basic. There are your typical bunk beds. You’ve got a flimsy privacy curtain. But you do get a bedside light, outlets, and some storage space.

What is special is the fact that they have female-only dorm rooms with only 4 bunk beds in a room! That is a rarity in Guatemala.

They also have mixed dorm rooms.

Location

Antigua is a small compact city, so everything is pretty much within walking distance from each other. The Purpose is no different. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the main square. There aren’t a lot of restaurants on the same street, but there are plenty of cafes and restaurants a block away.

It’s also a block and a half away from one of my favorite bakeries: Santa Clara Bakery!

However, at night, the streets around it can get pretty dark, so I never felt completely comfortable walking alone late at night.

Is it a party hostel?

No, it’s definitely not a party hostel. It’s actually a rather quiet hostel even with all the common areas. But it’s still easy to meet people.

The staff is the second highlight of the hostel

The second highlight of my stay was the staff. They speak English really well, are super friendly and knowledgeable. If you have a question on how to get to X, Y, or Z cheaply, where to buy a charger for your phone, or where to eat authentic Guatemalteco food, they can tell you.

What I also liked was that if you arrive early, they’ll let you check in early if the room is available. They don’t give you any bureaucratic hassle like a lot of other hostels in Guatemala do.

Bathrooms and Showers

My only gripe with the hostel is the bathrooms.

On a good note, they have enough toilets and showers. The hostel has two floors and there are 3 sinks, 3 toilets, and 3 shower stalls on each floor.

However, they are not separated by gender, so you don’t have much privacy when using the toilet or taking a shower. The only privacy you get in the shower stall is a flimsy curtain. The only place to hang your clothes and towel is on hooks OUTSIDE the stall. When you grab your towel or your clothes from the hooks, other people using the toilets or showers can see you. Changing your clothes in the shower without getting wet is also a bother, so I usually covered up with a towel to walk to and from my room and change in my room. But if you’re in a dorm, you can’t really do that.

The toilet stalls also lack privacy. The toilet stalls have these awful saloon-style doors. They are annoying if you need to use the toilet quickly. Once, one of the double doors fell off when I was in the toilet!

The last thing is that sometimes the toilets smell bad. The staff tries hard to cover up the smell with spray, but at times if someone goes #2, you can smell it all over the building.  

Cleanliness

The hostel is super clean. When I stayed there, it seemed like the staff was cleaning the place 24/7.

Did they take COVID seriously?

The staff all wore face masks but they did not insist that guests do.

Perfect for not-so-young travelers

For more mature solo travelers, The Purpose is one of the best places to stay in Antigua. It’s NOT a party hostel. Plus, it’s very quiet and safe.

Perfect place to stay in Antigua for solo travelers

The Purpose is also one of the best places to stay in Antigua for solo travelers as it feels safe, the staff is easy to talk to, and there are lots of opportunities to meet other travelers.

More hostels in Antigua

Along with The Purpose Hostel, I also stayed at Yellow House Hostel. This place has terrific customer service and amazing free breakfasts, but I wasn’t too thrilled about my room. I’ve also included a list of a few more popular hostels in Antigua.

Yellow House Hostel

• COST: US$12
• TYPE: hostel
• PROS: excellent free breakfast; good WiFi, good location, nice and friendly staff
• CONS: only 2 showers and 3 bathrooms for everyone; private rooms are small and uncomfortable
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: Booking.com

I stayed at Yellow House for several days and I have mixed feelings about it. First, on a good note, the staff are so friendly and kind. They actually try to get to know you on a first-name basis and greet you and make sure you’re doing ok.

They don’t have a kitchen for you to use, but they have probably the best FREE hostel breakfast in all of Central America.

There’s a decent rooftop terrace where you can work and hang out and the WiFi is pretty good. However, the views of the volcanoes aren’t so great.

The biggest downside for me was my room. It was small and dingy with no space to store things. It also felt a bit dirty, at least the one they put me in.

There are also only 2 showers and 3 toilets for everyone! So, I had to often wait to use the showers.

However, I talked to other people who stayed there and they loved it. I also think all the other private rooms looked much nicer than mine.

Yellow House is one of the better places to stay in Antigua for backpackers and budget travelers, but I think The Purpose is better.

Ojala – (Booking.com | Agoda) Ojala is a newer hostel (opened in 2019) that looks really beautiful. It has boutique-style dorm rooms with privacy curtains and all that jazz. It’s in a great location just a couple of blocks from the main square. The rooms are pricier at US$22 and the private rooms are higher than the ones you’ll find at a hotel.

Adra Hostel – (Booking.com | Agoda) Adra is another popular hostel located near the Zocalo. It’s got dorms but no private rooms. I’ve seen photos where the bunk beds are stacked 3 on top of each other. There’s a garden, restaurant, and bar on the premises, so it seems more like a party hostel.

Maya Papaya – (Booking.com | Agoda) Maya Papaya advertises itself as the best hostel in Central America. I don’t know about that as I didn’t stay there.

You can probably easily get a dorm there. Whenever I checked on private rooms, they were ALWAYS sold out. Their dorm rooms are pricey at $20 to $24 a night, but they have privacy curtains, bedside lamps, shelves, and an outlet. Their private rooms are also pricey at around $50 to $63 a night.

It’s located near La Merced Church, where you can get cheap street food in the evening.

There’s a bar in the hostel, so I think it might be on the party-side of the hostel spectrum.

Selina – (Booking.com | Agoda) – Selina is a chain hostel/coworking space. Their dorm rooms are only US$12 a night and their private rooms are between US$32 and $46. The location is great—near La Merced Church, which has a night market where you can get cheap street food.

5. Hotel Casa del Cerro

• COST: $20 a night
• TYPE: budget hotel
• PROS has the least expensive rooms in Antigua; for the price, it’s a good deal; very clean and quiet
• CONS: no hot water, and WiFi is not so good in the rooms
• BOOKING YOUR STAY: booking.com | Agoda

Casa del Cerro may not be one of the most charming places to stay in Antigua, but if you’re on a tight budget and don’t do dorm rooms, it’s an excellent deal. The rooms are around US$20 a night—cheaper than private rooms at hostels in Antigua. They have both rooms with private baths and ones with shared baths. I did the private ones as that was what was available at the time.

The reception is in a traditional pueblo-style building with a courtyard and yard, where you can have breakfast in the morning or do your Spanish homework in the afternoon and evening as I did. The WiFi is the best here.

The bedrooms are in a two-story building (in the photo above).

Free coffee and filtered water are provided.

They also serve inexpensive breakfasts.

Spacious and clean rooms

The rooms are spacious and clean. Mine had 2 beds and a sofa. I didn’t need 2 beds, but when you book at the last minute as I do, that’s all that is available.

The mattress is ok but the sheets are that scratchy uncomfortable kind that seems to be popular in cheap hotels in Guatemala. However, for the price of this hotel, it’s fine.

The rooms are cleaned daily, so they are spotless.

There are also plenty of places to store your things. I liked that it had several hooks to hang things like towels and clothes.

One of the biggest downsides for me was that my shower had no hot water. I asked management about it, and I was told that there was only hot water in the morning and afternoon and not in the evening. Therefore, I took a shower in the morning, but there was still no hot water.

I think if you get a room on the first floor, you’re more likely to get hot water.

The other downside was that the window in my room opened up into an airshaft, so I didn’t get much natural light or ventilation. But lack of a real window is common in budget hotels in Guatemala.

Another negative is that the WiFi signal was not strong enough to use in my room. However, if you get a room on the first floor, you’ll probably get a stronger and more stable connection as it’s closer to the router.

Quiet Location

The hotel is located right at the edge of the city under Cerro de la Cruz (Google Maps), a hill with a cross on it and with great lookout points over the city. It’s within walking distance of all the tourist attractions around the city.

On a plus point, it’s quiet. The road that passes in front of the hotel is picturesque.

On the downside, the area is quite dark and there’s not much foot traffic at night. I didn’t feel completely safe walking back to my hotel alone at night.

Does the WiFi work well?

The WiFi did not work well in my room on the second floor, but it worked well outside in the yard, where I would sit and work on my laptop at a table. However, when it got dark out, there wasn’t enough light to see what I was doing.

I suspect if your room is on the first floor, you’ll get good WiFi reception.

Did they take COVID seriously?

Yes, I felt like they did. The staff wore face masks and the rooms were cleaned well. Most of the guests didn’t wear face masks, however.

My overall impression of the Casa del Cerros

For the price, Casa del Cerros is a pretty good choice. Ask for a room on the first floor as I think the WiFi works better and you’ll have more of a chance of getting hot water.

If you’re a solo traveler, book early. I ended up paying more because the rooms for one person were all sold out.

Other decent budget hotels in Antigua

There are 2 other budget hotels that looked pretty good to me but I did not stay in:

Hotel La Sin Ventura – US$25 – (Booking.com | Agoda) The price for Hotel La Sin Venture is pretty good (US$25) and the location is wonderful—better than Hotel del Cerros.

Maison Bougainvillea – US$25 – (Booking.com | Agoda) Maison Bougainvillea gets really good reviews. The price is also decent, but the location is far from the center of town.

Tips on finding tHE best place to stay in Antigua

Let’s start with why it’s tricky finding a place to stay in Antigua that’s both affordable and charming.

Antigua is a popular place with Guatemalans

First, Antigua is a popular place for both locals and foreigners. This is especially so for Guatemalans on the weekend. They love to spend Saturday and Sunday in the city, so hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs not only book up quickly but prices rise as well.

Try to avoid weekends and holidays in Antigua

So, plan your visit to Antigua on weekdays and not weekends.

Also, avoid holidays or local celebrations. Even a minor holiday like the Flower Festival attracted hordes of people when I was in Antigua. Streets and sidewalks were so packed that you could barely pass.

The cheaper rooms book up fast

Second, hotels in Antigua have a variety of room types. They have the less expensive rooms with one single bed, ideal for solo travelers, or one double bed for couples. These rooms fill up fast.

Then they have rooms with two double beds! These are more expensive. They seemed to be the only ones left whenever I was trying to book a room.

So, book your accommodations in advance

I’m a last-minute-night-before kind of hotel booker. Unfortunately, this way caused me to spend more than I wanted to. I also ended up having to change hotels often.

I recommend booking at least 2 weeks beforehand. A month if you can.

However, if you book too far in advance, it seems that prices are too high.

What if you can’t book so far in advance?

When you enter the duration of your stay into booking.com or whatever online booking site you use, enter 1 or 2 days even though you want to stay 5 or 7 days. In this way, you’ll get more results and better results. Book your stay for 1 or 2 nights.

When you arrive at the hotel, and you find that you like the place, then see if you can extend your stay at that hotel.

Hotels do not put all of their available rooms on online booking sites. Booking.com or Agoda or Hostel World may say that the hotel is full, but actually, the hotel still has available rooms.

Or better yet, go to the hotel’s website and see if you can book from there.

Where to book your room

I book most of my hotels and hostels using booking.com. With over 186 properties in Antigua, the website gives you lots of choices.

Conclusion

So, that’s about it for my recommendations on where to stay in Antigua. I think the list is perfect for backpackers and budget travelers as well as those who want some comfort but can’t afford luxury digs.

Let me know about your experience booking a place to stay in Antigua or your experience staying in Antigua. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment in the Comment Section below. I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability.

For a list of things to do in Antigua, check out my list of the 32 Best Things to do in Antigua.

In the meantime, if you find any of this stuff useful, please share the love on social media. Thank you!

Travel safe!