Our Stay at Laguna Lodge Eco-Resort

After last year’s side trip to Antigua, we decided that we wanted to supplement this year’s Casa Vieja Lodge visit with something different – a few days at Lake Atitlán, the deepest lake in Central America, and one surrounded by various Mayan cultures. While we didn’t really understand how the towns laid out, it was quickly evident that there were all sorts of lodging options, from dorm-style hostels to $500 a night luxury hotels.

At 50-something years old, with a decent budget and little tolerance for modest surroundings, we decided to split the difference and ended up (through a deeply unscientific process) at Laguna Lodge Eco-Resort. It was one of the most affordable “luxury” options, had great views of the San Pedro Volcano, and promised a quiet atmosphere with access to the amenities of other villages.

A Bizarre Choice for a Fishing Vacation

Our one slight hesitation was that consistent with its “eco lodge” theme, the hotel’s restaurant and was strictly vegetarian (not vegan – there were eggs, butter and milk). While we prefer meat with our meals, we’d just come off an epic gastronomic feast at Casa Vieja, so we could probably afford to ratchet it back a bit. Also, we planned to eat meals other than the included breakfast in the other villages, so we’d have plenty of chances to be carnivorous, although it ended up that we ate non-meat options more than we would have expected.

When we checked in, they reminded us that they were vegetarian, to which our friend Carl replied, “Wait, you mean no tocino?” (bacon). It turned out that we didn’t miss it. Most of the others enjoyed traditional breakfasts with eggs, beans and tortillas, but I had the French Toast each day and it was fantastic. After big lunches (including meat) in other villages, we ended up eating and drinking back at the hotel restaurant two of the nights, snacking on pizzas and pasta.

The Facilities

All of the rooms are large and decorated to reflect Mayan culture, with distinctive art and artifacts. Indeed, it was that design, plus the amazing volcano views, that attracted us in the first place. We initially reserved some of the lower end ($200 range) suites, but when we got there the hotel was relatively empty and we were updated to the Jaguar Suite and the Quetzal Suite, which would have been substantially more expensive, at no extra cost. They had elevated views of the lake and large balconies where we spent more time than expected. It’s rare that we slow down enough just to sit and relax, but we managed to do it on this trip.

The bathroom was extremely large, too, with double sinks and a big shower. We were told that we’d have to let the water run for a few minutes to heat up, and two of the days we got as much hot water as we could use, but one of the days when we showered later it never got past lukewarm.

There was a pool, but it was too cold to swim (the mountainous region got down into the low 60s at night), and an outdoor hot tub but you had to ask them two hours in advance to heat it up – we never did.

The hotel was isolated – you could walk to Sunset Lodge next door if you wanted to eat there, or up into the nature preserve, but other than that you had to take a boat to get anywhere. For us, that was a feature rather than a bug.

The service was generally excellent, especially from Nicholas, who would help us wave down a lancha and carry luggage up or down the steps from the water to our room – although Hanna did have a little trouble connecting with them from the US to pay our deposit. It took repeated efforts. As we went to check out, they told us that the credit card reader was not working and we’d need to pay cash, although eventually they got it running.

What We Liked About Laguna Lodge

For us, the main appeal of Laguna Lodge was its isolation and quiet. Hanna and I live in a busy area and work in busier areas, so when we get away, we really want to get away. Nothing against backpackers or hostel visitors, but we didn’t want to be kept up at night. At Laguna Lodge we could sleep with the doors to our balcony open and there was no noise except for the occasional boat passing by.

I don’t know if this is typical, but as far as we could tell there was only one other couple staying there, which is what I’m sure afforded us the upgraded room. We felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Indeed, Carl discovered that there was an open-air party space on the uppermost level of the hotel, and on the last night the staff was kind enough to deliver our pizzas and drinks up there, where it felt like we were the only people on earth.

We also really liked the fact that it wasn’t a cookie cutter hotel. Some of the other options we looked at in the same approximate price range, especially those in the larger towns, might as well have been a Hampton Inn in the Midwest. We wanted a taste of Mayan and Guatemalan cultures.

When we wanted to go to the other towns, we simply flagged down a lancha, and for 25 Quetzales (a little over $3) we could go anywhere. The public lanchas do shut down at 6pm, but it’s not hard to get a private boat at the town docks.

Laguna Lodge’s Shortcomings

If you’re looking for a lot of action and activity, and to meet people, this is not the hotel for you. The quiet that we thrived upon could be seen as a negative if that’s what you’re looking for – and, if so, we recommend San Pedro or Santiago or Panajachel. They have more restaurant and shopping options, too – our slice of the world was effectively cordoned off. Similarly, if you’re looking for major resort amenities like a gym or a lap pool, this ain’t it.

Also, if you don’t speak any Spanish at all, you may struggle here. Most of the staff spoke minimal or no English. Carl and I got by with our limited Spanish, and hand signals worked for the words we couldn’t come up with.

Finally, remember that this is an eco lodge, and that it’s isolated from any sort of grid. There’s no air conditioning, which we didn’t find problematic – we slept with the balcony door open – but some of you might. Additionally, the one day that we didn’t get hot water was kind of a bummer, but not a dealbreaker. We’ve come to expect such occasional shortcomings in lesser-developed countries, even when staying at higher end properties.

Conclusion

While the vegetarian cuisine seemed like an odd choice, it ended up being meaningless. We ate meat at restaurants around the lake and certainly didn’t go hungry when we chose to stay close to home. When I talked about possibly returning to Atitlan on future trips to Guatemala, all three of my companions – Hanna, Carl and Lisa – strongly supported a return to Laguna. Despite the fact that there were some slight shortcomings, it was a great way to feel like we had a private resort and could dip in and out of the more crowded locations on demand. I also liked the fact that they were so concerned about preserving their local environment and culture — so much of our travel is consumptive (and could in some cases be considered exploitative) that it’s good to feel like you are appreciating and respecting your hosts.