I traveled to Guatemala from NYC in July of 2009 with my mother, sister, and brother-in-law. Guatemala City was our first stop on a wonderful trip through the country. We booked the hotel for the two nights before we left for Antigua.

When we booked the hotel, we did not have expectations of anything fancy, given the price. Still, the hotel was on a rather shady street, and was essentially someone's residence (an old lady and her middle-aged son). Although friendly, she was rather intrusive; almost protesting to my sister and brother-in-law rooming together, because she saw no ring on my sister's finger (she had removed it for safety reasons). Every time you wanted to come into the hotel, you had to knock and wait for the lady to open the door and give you your room key. This precluded any late night ventures of course.

The rooms themselves were pretty dingy. The worst part was the bathrooms, whose door featured a 2-foot gap on the top, grimy surfaces, and a shower with electrical wires hanging overhead. At night, one could hear a lot of shouting on the street, and you didn't feel particularly safe ,despite being behind walls topped with barbed wire.

There was a computer in the common area, although the lady's son was always using it. In order to send a quick email, you had to ask him to use the computer, which made the whole experience rather uncomfortable.

On the upside, guests are treated to a basic but delicious Guatemalan breakfast, consisting of eggs, refried beans, bread, coffee, and fried platanos (plantains). The meal is served in the hotel's beautiful patio area, and speaks to the kindness of the people operating the hotel.

This hotel is good if you plan on spending very little time in it. The staff ,made every effort to be courteous, but the house itself needed major work, it was out-of-the-way, and I really did feel like I was staying in my nagging auntie's house.