I stayed in Hotel Utz Jay for 5 days over Christmas 2011 and was traveling on my own. I don't speak Spanish and wanted to have a safe, friendly, clean base in which to stay while I visited the villages around the lake. I first learned about Utz Jay from my Lonely Planet guidebook. Before I stayed here, I read all of the reviews on this web site which I found very helpful.

I am the kind of person that needs a good night of uninterrupted sleep otherwise I am miserable the following day. One of the previous reviews said that there is a noisy rooster in the area. Unfortunately, this is very common in S and C America. There is a rooster in Pana, but it seemed to be about 1/2 mile away and you could barely hear it. Another review said that the walls of this hotel are very thin, and you can hear people walking above you if you are on the bottom floor. I booked a room with no one above me, so I did not have this issue. However, the walls were very thin and you can hear people in adjoining rooms talking. If you are a light sleeper, bring ear plugs.

With those 2 minor negative aspects out of the way, I will tell you what I think of Utz Jay. I thought it was an absolute paradise. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly with every single question I asked over my 5 day stay. Their English was super. The owner (sorry I forgot her name) was very helpful and when my shuttle came to pick me up to bring me back to Guatemala city she told the driver that I need to sit up front because I get car sick. I appreciated her looking out for me. The owners' son was very informative about the area and when I asked him if I could take a taxi to Santa Catalina he told me that I should take the pick up truck taxis like the locals do and he explained where the stop was and the cost. I LOVED the pick up truck taxis, so much better than traveling like a tourist!!

The grounds of Utz-Jay are peaceful, beautiful, and clean. The courtyard is lovely and it was so nice to sit in the chairs outside and work on my travel blog. The staff, from the men that work outside, to the cleaners, to the servers in the dining room were attentive and friendly. I had my laundry done by the staff for a good price and they did a great job. The breakfast in the dining room was about $6.00 US and was amazing!! Eggs, coffee, HUGE portion of FRESH fruit, black beans, banana bread, and toast. I LOVE big breakfasts and this was the PERFECT start to the day. My server, Marlin, was a lovely woman.

I don't dislike dogs, but I am not what I would call a dog person. The owner's 3 German Shepard dogs were friendly and hardly barked. They leave you alone if you are not interested in playing with them, but they do love to play and would love your attention.

As a solo female traveler, I felt incredibly safe here, and actually in all of Pana and Guatemala. They close and lock the gate at about 8 pm or so and they give you a key to the padlock so you can come and go. The hotel is set off of the main street of Santander, so it is very quiet at night. I walked down the street quite a few times late at night on my own and had no problems at all. There was once a man who was drunk or something that stood nearby for hours, but he was too drunk to move! Of course, you can find this in any big city in the world.

Pana itself was exciting, beautiful and interesting all at the same time. I spent my days touring the other villages as well as the nearby nature preserve. Lago de Atitlan is absolutely stunning.

Overall my experience in Pana and Hotel Utz Jay was pretty much perfect. I cannot even think of any negatives. My room which had 2 large beds was $26.00 a night. I highly recommend this hotel, feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experience, I would be happy to help other travelers.