I stayed for 4 nights as part of a GAP tour and have no hesitation in recommending this hotel.
From our arriveal we were treated really well and a few of us were moved as one or two rooms had no TV. They could not do enough for us and we were given access to their kitchen to cook, their meeting rooms, the internet and cheap cheap international phone calls.
Some reviewers comment negatively about service but I cannot agree with this. Yes the hotelis not perfect and yes there is no pool on the roof. But it is clean, safe and in a brilliant location 2 minutes from the nentral square. El CArmen is not luxurious by any means, but when you are not interested in luxury and only want to be safe, clean and well located, then this is the place for you.

Perfectly located - close to the main area but far enough away to get a "neighbourhood feel". Staff was very friendly and helped us out when we were mistakenly taken to the wrong hotel. Our room were larger than expected and was comfortable for what we needed. a nice courtyard allowed for some escape from the heat. the only negative, and its not major, is based on the layout- our room was on the ground floor facing the courtyard, so we could hear people returning/leaving their rooms at night, noisy conversations etc. again minor issue and nothing that impacted our stay in Antigua. wished we had a longer stay.

The people at Hotel El Carmen are incredibly helpful, kind, considerate--we much appreciated Paulino and Libny for their assistance during our ten-day stay. Breakfasts were great, the room was comfy (with the fan they provided) and were kept clean each day, and it was quiet at night. Its proximity to the park, to restaurants, to everything, was perfect. If you're going to Antigua, stay here! Loved it!

Stayed at El Carmen for two nights whilst on a tour of Central America.
Hotel was located in an excellent spot in Antigua. Has a very pretty roof top area, with lovely views. Room was on the small side, but bed was extremely comfortable, with tv (cable) provided in rooms.
We'd arrived at the hotel at 4am (from an overnight bus from Flores) and the poor gentleman who we'd woken up to check us in, did so with a smile on his face and in a very friendly manner!
Only complaint would be that rooms unfortunately had no air-conditioner or fans. As the room windows looked into the interior of hotel (which was a big sun-room type of thing), the rooms became hot and stuffy towards the end of the day.
Other than that, stay was hassle-free. Recommended hotel.