Sleep Good: Good Hotel Antigua

I came across Good Hotel’s Instagram account some years ago and knew I would eventually want to stay there in whichever city I could get to first. Good Hotel is a former private mansion and sustainable property in central city Antigua that began as a charitable organization years ago and evolved into several properties in different countries. While I fell in love with the design of the property, I also knew I wanted to stay because I greatly appreciated that the chain invests in the local community in a number of ways. 100% of the profits go to Niños de Guatemala to provide education and improve the lives of local children, but they also employ local children graduating school and parents, especially mothers.

Location

As I mentioned, the hotel is center city so it’s truly the perfect location to stay in Antigua. The Santa Catalina Arch is about a half mile walk from the hotel, there are restaurants and cafes galore right in the area, and the grocery store and local market are not a far walk either. You can book a walking tour through the hotel or online with a site like Viator, but it’s also in a great location to simply explore on your own. If you need, there’s a tienda right around the corner for things like snacks and drinks.

Hotel Staff

The staff is very friendly and provides wonderful 24/7 front desk service for whatever you might need. They can help you arrange a taxi, local tours, laundry service, or fulfill requests for anything you might need such as a fan for your room, iron and board for your clothes, and extra toiletries and towels.

THe Room

Sustainability

Here are some things to note about the sustainability of the property:

The rooms do not have televisions.

There is no temperature control.

Bathroom products are organic and locally made in Guatemala.

You are encouraged to re-use towels, although mine were replaced by housekeeping staff every day.

Wifi

The quality of wifi is always important for me, as I work remotely, and I was happy to find that the wifi here was excellent for my purposes.

Temperature Control

There is no thermostat or temperature control in the room, which may not be a problem certain times of year. I traveled to Guatemala during what is considered their summer season, so my room was quite hot. You can request a fan to your room, which was serviceable but did not provide as much air as I would have liked, especially while sleeping. It often felt better outside than it did in my room, but not enough to complain, just something more or less to be aware of.

Water

One of the things I found most unique and convenient, especially being in another country, is that you can drink the tap water at the hotel. The hotel has its own water treatment plant that allows guests to bathe in and drink the water. They are very clear in noting that you are not to do this anywhere else in Guatemala unless expressly stated.

Saul Restaurant

There is a lovely restaurant on site that you can access from outside the hotel or inside. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which all happen to be very good. There are regular menu options as well as vegetarian options in a range of dishes from pasta to pizza to crepes to burgers. I will admit that because I packed this trip with so many things to do, I conveniently ate almost every meal at Saul rather than exploring other restaurants the city had to offer, and while I would have loved to have experienced other places, no meal was a disappointment at Saul. Here’s everything I tried:

Food

Burger De Salmon w/ Fries

Polanco Open Toast

Margherita Pizza

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes w/ Fruit

Drinks

Pina Colada

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Communal Spaces

The hotel is essentially an open air garden space so there are long communal tables to share a meal, swing chairs to relax, and a bar for sharing drinks with others.

Saul also has an incredible library-like space with cookbooks to browse along the walls, cute embroidered chairs that are perfect for relaxing or enjoying a good book, and work tables if you need a desk setting for your laptop or writing.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and don’t think I would have wanted to stay anywhere else. Good hotel is beautifully designed, considerably affordable, and perfectly located; it was everything I had hoped for from my initial research. I’m most happy to have contributed to the community and the improvement of local children’s lives. When you stay, remember: sleep good, do good.