46 Best Hotels in The Highlands, Guatemala

By far the best B&B on the lake, and one of the country's loveliest hotels, luxurious Casa Palopó has an almost mystical atmosphere. Each of the seven rooms in the main house, decorated with religious-theme artworks from around the world, offers incredible views of the volcanoes. Muted blues run throughout this former villa, mirroring the colors of the lake. Most baths have giant tubs perfect for prolonged soaks. Just down the road, an annex offers two equally sumptuous suites, each with its own pool and hot tub.

Keep any disappointment in check until you arrive. You turn into a quiet cove northwest of Panajachel, and will spot an ugly high-rise building. That isn't this hotel. This Spanish-style inn consists of a main building flanked by two-story wings that surround a pool. The extensive grounds border on a long stretch of shoreline and the Reserva Natural Atitlán, a wooded reserve crossed by footpaths and hanging bridges. The rooms, each with tile floor, carved wooden furniture, and handwoven bedspreads, have balconies overlooking the gardens or the lake. Even if you don't stay here, stop by for views of the lake at sunset. The restaurant is reliable, if a bit overpriced. The hotel also offers weekly rates, which include all meals if you like.

This small hotel is in a secluded cove, and each of its stone-floor, stucco bungalows is shaded by avocado and papaya trees. Ask the friendly German owner to make you a tropical drink, one of his favorite pastimes. If piña coladas aren't your thing, request a massage—he is rumored to be the best masseur on the lake. The restaurant serves up great curries and other international dishes.

Built in the Spanish style around a central courtyard, Hotel Santo Tomás is one of the town's best lodgings. Breezy passageways in which hundreds of plants spring from rustic clay pots lead past two trickling fountains. Spacious rooms are decorated with traditional textiles and antique reproductions. Each has a fireplace to warm you when the sun goes down. The back of the hotel is quieter, and has views of the surrounding countryside. The large restaurant ($$) is a quiet lunch refuge from the market cacophony.

This longtime favorite has deluxe accommodations in private stone-wall bungalows with volcano views, as well as a few rooms and suites in the main building. Pass through the carved-wood doors of your bungalow and you'll find a fireplace and thick wool blankets piled high on the bed. The restaurant (¢–$) serves exquisite food, such as smoked chicken píbil in a tangy red sauce and Thai coconut shrimp. The wine list is surprisingly extensive. On the premises is a small store where you can rent canoes and mountain bikes.

Magnificent views are the big draw at this rustic retreat. Rooms, in several wood-and-stone bungalows, are small but neat. The delicious home cooking is served family style in the main building, which resembles a New England farmhouse. The menu ($) changes constantly, but each meal comes with fresh vegetables and bread hot out of the oven. Electricity is solar-generated, with gas used to fuel the supply of hot water.

On the beautifully tended grounds at the dock entrance to Santiago Atitlán is a string of rooms with private patios overlooking the lake. Stone pathways loop through a series of taxonomically arranged gardens (cacti in one, flowers in the next, and so on)—and most of the hotel's restaurant's fruits, vegetables, and herbs are cultivated out back. Canoes are available for paddling around the lake.

This slightly ramshackle hotel a few blocks off the plaza is a popular spot with travelers on a budget. Rooms on two floors of a converted residence face a small courtyard overflowing with plants. Several are arranged dorm-style with bunks, and sleep eight to 10 people. Though simple, they're clean and comfortable. There's a separate lounge where you can chat with other guests.

This inn is a collection of little buildings about a block from the main street. Spacious, if sparsely furnished, rooms have sliding-glass doors that open onto the lovely garden. The rooms may seem a bit cool because of the tile floors, but they have fireplaces that warm you up in a snap. The grounds are surrounded by a wall, which makes the terraces by the pool a private place to sunbathe. The restaurant is one of the best in town, serving a wide selection of Guatemalan dishes. The agreeable chefs will sometimes even prepare dishes to order. You receive a 5% discount off the room rates if you pay in cash.

This longtime budget standby just two blocks off the Parque Centro América has undergone a complete remodeling to upgrade its furnishings and facilities. Spacious, carpeted rooms on the upper floor contain private bathrooms; those on the first floor, all with partial brick walls, offer shared baths. All have colorful spreads and drapes. Everyone has access to shared kitchen facilities.

This romantic little B&B west of the central plaza blends colonial comforts with modern conveniences. The rooms—most have fireplaces—are spacious and homey, with handmade wall hangings and throw rugs and the occasional rocking chair. On the roof is a two-level terrace with a fantastic view of the city. Complimentary breakfast is served in a small dining room downstairs. The staff is incredibly friendly and will be happy to help you with travel plans. You'll get a small discount if you pay in cash.

The Alps are nowhere to be seen, but at the very least, the sun-splashed breakfast room at this cozy little hotel does the name justice. The rooms are smallish but not cramped. Wooden masks and other handicrafts adorn the walls. A pleasant terrace is a great place for relaxing after a taxing day of roaming the markets. The hotel is down a small unpaved road near 7 Avenida, and removed from the cacophony of market central.

San Juan La Laguna's best (and only) lodging option, the Uxlabil has its own thatched dock and extensive grounds with a medicinal herb garden, Mayan sauna, and Jacuzzi. The simple rooms have textured walls reminiscent of beach sand, rather hard beds, and traditional-textile bedclothes.

Although they're a bit run-down, these nine bungalows are adequate and have fireplaces that keep you cozy at night. The best part of staying here is having round-the-clock access to the hot springs, which close to the public at 6 pm. The cabins themselves have no hot water, though.

Who would've thought that out-of-the-way Huehuetenango would have such a top-notch hotel? Spacious rooms, excellent service, and a central location make it the town's best lodging option. Third-floor rooms have great views, especially when the bougainvillea is in full bloom. At the restaurant ($) you can choose between a table in the shady courtyard or in the cozy dining room warmed by a fireplace.

This hotel in an older building a few blocks north of the plaza has a variety of rooms facing a cobblestone courtyard. The plant-filled portico leading to most rooms is scattered with inviting chairs and tables. Rooms are simply furnished, and a few have fireplaces. The hotel even offers its own rooftop market with 45 vendors on Thursday and Sunday market days.

Set amid colorful gardens, this hotel gives you comfortable accommodations without the hefty price tag of more deluxe digs. The medium-size rooms are simply and tastefully furnished. Most open onto the pool area—these are set way back from the street, giving you no sense of being smack-dab in the center of town—where you can spend your afternoon on a lounge chair with a cocktail. The restaurant has a certain elegance, with tables set beneath a soaring thatch roof. The menu includes well-made pasta dishes and lots of wine.

A series of A-frame cabins climb the hillside garden here up from the hotel's private dock. (The views are lovely, but the walk can be bracing.) Inside the cabins, expect rustic wood and blindingly white walls decorated with primitivist art. We like the whimsical, partially open bathrooms. (A hummingbird might be your companion in the shower.) You'll receive a 10-percent discount if you pay in cash. Thursday evenings this becomes one of Santa Cruz's places to hang out. The folks here present a weekly documentary film. The Q20 admission includes the price of one beer or herbal tea.

Nebaj doesn't have much in the way of lodging; the best bet is this friendly whitewashed hotel set around two courtyards. Some of the basic but spacious rooms overlook the garden. A few rooms in an annex next door have nicer furnishings and even toss in cable TV.

Rooms are simple here—expect tiled floors and two beds each—but the hillside location just above the dock gives you the best views in town, especially if you lodge on the top floor. All guests have access to the rooftop terrace.

This four-story hotel in the heart of town offers clean, if basic, accommodations. Ask to see a few rooms, as some are much better than others.

Founded in 1892, this family-run establishment is one of Guatemala's oldest, still-operating lodgings. Over the years the distinguished hotel has maintained its tradition of good service. The wood-floor rooms, furnished with antiques, surround a few small courtyards leading off the lobby. Dinner is served in a fine colonial-style restaurant.

Make this your first choice in San Pedro. It costs no more than the other budget options, and provides you with a big step up in quality. Rooms are on two floors—those on the top floor have good views—and are bright and cheery, with either a double or a pair of twin beds.

At the end of Calle Santander, this excellent hotel—there's a branch by the same name in Antigua, and a stay at both branches in one trip gets you a 10-percent discount on the rates—has some of the best views of the lake. The rooms make use of handwoven fabrics from the local communities. Ask for one of the newer beachfront rooms with slightly more modern amenities and better views. Relax by the pool or in one of the hammocks hung along a breezy corridor. There's a small on-site museum that gives insight into the history of the Maya.

Friendly owners are a nice plus at this budget find with mostly second-floor rooms in the center of town. Of the hotels we recommend in Panajachel, this one is closest to the bar action on Calle Santander. The noise is really only a problem on weekends, but rooms 1, 8, and 9 do not face the street and make for quieter evenings. Their bay windows face a center courtyard occupied by the sedate restaurant downstairs. Those three rooms are larger than the others and have fireplaces, too. We like Room 9 in particular; it has its own interior balcony.

The well-manicured gardens of this small complex lead down past a shallow pool, bricked Mayan sauna, and Jacuzzi to a private beach. Although many of the condos lack good views of the lake, their barrel-roof brick ceilings and understated Moorish design more than make up for it. This is a great place for groups or families—each bungalow can sleep six, and has a separate living area, fully outfitted kitchen, and private terrace.

This little hotel has a definite charm, most of it emanating from the engaging couple that runs it. The simple rooms, with handwoven bedspreads, surround a sunny courtyard. Clotheslines full of the day's laundry stretch to the roof next door. The shared baths are clean, but hot water is available only in the morning.

Any lodging with its own heliport must cater to an affluent clientele, right? Yet rates are very reasonable here. Opt, if you can, for one of the 14 rooms across the street from the reception. They are scattered throughout a pleasant garden. With their stucco walls, big wooden doors, armoires, antique furniture, tile floors, and hammocks in the breezeways (and some rooms with fireplaces), they echo an old Guatemalan hacienda. Eight other rooms sit either above the reception area or near the parking lot. Beef is the specialty in the restaurant ($–$$), along with great lake views.

This three-floor lodging sits on a quiet street, just one-half block off Calle Santander. Rooms come with cabinet, bed, and table—not much else—but the place is a good, peaceful budget find.

Surrounding a covered courtyard illuminated by skylights, the spacious carpeted rooms at Hotel Villa Real Plaza all have fireplaces that you'll appreciate on cool evenings. Those in a newer wing are superior to those in the dimly lit older section. The restaurant (¢–$$) has an interesting menu, whose offerings range from chicken cordon bleu to a variety of meaty stews. You'll receive a small discount if you pay with cash.