Hotel Posada de Belen, Guatemala City

I chose Posada de Belen as my accomodation for my first night in Guatemala City because of the the hotel's excellent website. The people who run the place were very friendly and helpful. My room was reasonably comfortable but needed better light.

Unique Qualities: There is a small but pretty interior courtyard at Posada Belen with lush tropical foilage and even a couple of resident turtles. The hotel is also something of a museum with many interesting artifacts on display. Meals are available, cooked to order and served in the dining room. An added bonus is that those staying at the hotel are allowed to make a free five minute telephone call per day to either the USA or Canada.

Drawbacks are that the hotel is on a side street and difficult to find, even with a map. The best way to get there is to have the folks at the hotel send a taxi to pick you up at the airport or bus station. My driver was waiting for me even though my plane was four hours late arriving in Guatemala City.

Also, Posada de Belen is in Zone 1, which has a reputation for being the least safe part of a dangerous city. The front door is always kept locked, bars are on the windows, and razor wire is stretched around the top of the exterior walls.