We recently visited La Antigua Guatemala and stayed at Finca Filadelfia. The entire experience was wonderful and the staff especially helpful. The resort offered tours of the coffee plantation, mule rides up the mountainsides, as well as the opportunity to relax and enjoy the unique beauty and serenity of the plantation and grounds.

For us, it was not only a welcome 5-day respite from the work-a-day world, but also a chance to appreciate a simpler, more measured way of life. Gracias, Carlos, Sofia and all the staff at Filadelfia Resort and Spa. Hasta luego!

Wow! The Filadelfia was amazing! A wonderful hidden gem tucked away in charming Antigua. The staff welcomed us with a delicious cocktail when we checked in. Everyone on the property was so friendly and most were bilingual.

We had lunch up the hill at the casual restaurant on the patio under a loaded avocado tree. They have every detail covered. Play areas for kids are discreetly set away to keep them entertained but not in the middle of everything. There was a live band playing local music with marimbas. The air was so cool, crisp and clean!

Our room had an incredible view of one of the three volcanoes. The bed linens were so luxurious I wanted to stay in bed all morning. There was a coffee grinder and french press in the room to make fresh R Dalton Coffee every morning. I have to admit that I didn't even like coffee before I came here. Now I realize I'd just never had genuine Arabica coffee hand picked, dried and roasted the way they do here. It was beyond description!! I shipped a case home to share with my friends and family.

Our room #6 had a wonderful little fireplace in the corner fueled with wood. The staff at our request went in and started it for us one evening while we were dining in the formal dining room. How romantic to return to our cozy room and enjoy our aperitifs by the fire before retiring to those delectable sheets!

Everything is so well built and organized I almost felt like we had the place to ourselves. One afternoon we took a tour of the plantation and went on a zip lining tour. It was a great way to see the area and not nearly as scary as we thought it would be. You could tell how safety conscious the guides were and their equipment was all brand new!

They have guided tours of the coffee operations that are very interesting. The groups coming back from the mule rides were laughing and appeared to have had a ball.

The resort definitely takes safety, security and privacy very seriously. The armed security personnel were discreetly evident.

We walked into the Village center to shop at the artisans market. The craftsmanship was amazing. The best selection of artwork and gifts we found was actually at the resort. The owner's wife scouts out the best work from the locals and brings it to her store there at the resort. I never would have discovered so many wonderful treasures wandering the streets of Antigua on my own.

One morning I caved in and used their computer in the lobby to check in on facebook and gush to my buddies about my trip. Not really a business center, but adequate for a quick e-mail check. The bartenders were so much fun teaching us about local liqueurs and their favorite specialties.

We were there during the first part of lent so the village was busy with locals celebrating in all of the beautiful churches. It was fun to see whole families that had come in from the outlying areas. The people were as beautiful as the scenery!

We only had four days at the Filadelfia. I will plan to stay longer next time!

We booked the Hotel Filadelfia after finding it displayed on a luxury hotel website. After booking online we were emailed by the hotel who confirmed our reservation. I asked at that time if we could arrange both a volcano tour and in-room massages for myself and my boyfriend. We were told this would be no problem and confirmed the bookings.

We arrived at the hotel which is absolutely beautiful. The hotel rooms are incredibly comfortable with a stunning view over the pool and the volcano in the distance. The pool area is perfect for relaxing and with the comfortable beds and blackout shades the rooms are pefect for sleeping in!

Unfortuantely a taxi is the only way to reach Antigua and with two gates and armed security guards the hotel feels a little isolated. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you are looking to relax.

We ate at the hotel restaurant which is slightly overrated although with wonderful staff, had amazing coffee at the Cafe Tenango which has a beautiful view and excellent breakfast, and took the very enjoyable coffee tour.

Unfortuantely our stay was slightly marred by constant confusion from the staff over the activities we had booked. The first problem started with our massages. Five minutes before the massages were to begin we were called and told one person would be coming, not two, as another guest had requested a massage.

The following day was the day we had planned our volcano tour. We were told by the hotel staff that we should be ready for a 6 a.m. tour as this is the best time to go. So we went to bed early, awoke at 5:30 a.m. and went to the lobby where we were told to wait 5 minutes for the bus (this would become a trend), after 25 minutes the receptionist came to tell us the tour had been changed to 8 and they forgot to tell us. At 8 a.m. we were taken by a taxi into Antigua and dropped off at a travel agency. We were told to wait for the bus until 9 a.m. After 45 minutes and a lot of confusion we were told that the taxi had taken us to the wrong place and we would now need to wait until 2 p.m. We were quite upset by this point as we had wasted a lot of time sitting around. The hotel staff offered no apologies for the trouble, only telling us they would speak to the driver.

We were finally able to take the tour at 2 p.m. and while it was well worth it, we were disappointed to have wasted most of the day and unimpressed that such an expensive hotel did not have better customer relations.

So, all in all, the hotel is beautiful and Antigua is an amazing place. I would just caution that it is best to schedule tours with a travel agency directly and to bear in mind that the staff will give you the answer they think you want to hear, which may not be accurate.

When we tried to book a hotel room in Antigua, all of my favorites were already booked, so we found Finca Filadelfia. It is the Filadelfia coffee plantation. There is a resort here with 20 rooms on an old finca (farm). We stayed there, and it was awesome. The Finca Filadelfia also runs coffee tours, mule rides, canopy tours, mountain bike excursions and probably other stuff I can't remember. So there is the hotel area and the "tourist area." There are two restaurants at the hotel, and one in the tourist area. The hotel itself, while "antiqued," is brand new -- two years old. The rooms were spotless (no bugs) and my friends called the beds the most comfortable they had ever slept on. They have motorized blackout shades, which my kids thought were cool, and which helped block the light, so we could sleep in. There was a fantastic pool that was heated to the temperature of a bathtub (and for my kids, a pool is a requirement.). We took the coffee tour, which I loved, but which was boring for the kids. We were planning to go into Antigua all three days we were staying at this hotel, but we took one whole day and just explored the grounds, which are beautiful and relaxing. I wish we could have stayed longer and done some of the other activities. I should mention that the restaurant was fantastic, and they were well able to cater to the needs of my friend's daughter, who had severe food allergies. There was a great swingset/play set, and it was fun just to wander around on their beautiful grounds. We ended up staying one full day just on the grounds. The only drawback was there was no shuttle into Antigua, and it cost about $15 each way to get there. The staff is trying really hard to make a name for this place, and they catered to our every whim. There was a pool guy who, the second he heard us jump in the pool, he ran out with cushions for the chairs and towels. There was a shallow place for those who wanted to sunbathe or play with babies too young to swim. Reminds me of the pool at the Westin Camino Real for those who have been there. There was lots of space for the kids to run and run and run. There was also a workout room and a bar overlooking the grounds where the grownups could have a drink and the kids could run around and play. They light a fire every night, and they have internet access. Add to that the smell of roasting coffee wafting through your room, and you have a great vacation! What a great place. It was quiet (except for when the owner's helicopter landed), safe (you have to go through two security gates to get in) and I can recommend it highly.