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Hi, if you are able to bring your Mother back to Guatemala for a visit... I say absolutley do it. I spent a collective 10 weeks in Guatemala City and Antigua throughout 2007. I wil say though it took less than a week to capture my heart.... they country and they people are just beautiful ! I could go on for days... but I will refrain and stick to your original question. Where to stay. If you stay in the city and are looking for more of a quaint and authentic feeling hotel they I highly recommend Hotel San Carlos. You can get a double room (two beds) for $90 US dollars, included is a shuttle to/from the airport and breakfast. They have a restaraunt that also serves lunch and dinner (extra fee of course). The food is not the best, but decent. There are many restaraunts around the area and it is next to the US Embassy. If you are looking for luxury... you must stay at Vista Real. Absolutley beautiful grounds... excellent food... total white glove treatment. There rooms are nothing like I have ever stayed in before. A double will run you around $120 which also includes breakfast. The ONLY downfall is Vista Real is in a residential zone... there is nothing in walkng distance. So you will need to take a taxi or shuttle if you want to venture out. My suggestion though, for the majority of your trip... stay in Antigua. In my opinion it is safer then the city as it is touristy. So there are a lot of "armed guards" and foreigners. The restaraunts are of abundance, reasonable, and the food is fabulous ! There are several things you can do there... tour the jade factory, coffee plantations, markets, cemetary, Convent and Churches. Oh how I ache to spend the afternoon sitting in Parque Central with the breeze blowing in my hair, eating an ice cream cone, listening to live music and watching the kids play. Antigua is a small town and everything is in walking distance. I believe it is a 10 block square... but I will say they are big blocks and the cobblestone sidewalks may it a bit longer. They have tuk-tuk's (kinda like a golf cart) that you can ride for a minimul fee... maybe two or three US dollars. Lodging... there is alot. I will share two options. If you are looking for quiet and a bit of luxury... I highly recomment El Palacio De Dona Beatriz. It is on the edge of town in a gated community. The tooms are quite quaint and beautiful, the grounds cant be beat. You can get a double room for $100a night which includes breakfast. The breakfast... OH MY GOODNESS ! Antoher option is Posada Don Valentino. Here a double room will cost you $40 a night. This is basic, but nice. Tradional bedding and pictures are in the rooms. Just make sure you ask for a room with a private bathroom. There is also a shared kitchen that you can use to make food if you wish. Don Valentino is centrally located, only two blocks form the center, lots of restaraunts within a block and is next door to the La Bogeda (a grocery store). You will find many inexpensive "hostel" type places (like the Don Valentino) in Antigua. The problem is Antigua is a busy little place and can be quite noisey. I stayed in a cute little place but the music being played next door didnt stop until 3:00 am and then a wonderful little rooster began to crow at 3:30am... Ugh. The Don Valentino is on a street where there is a little nightlife, and the actual rooms are set back a bit. It was quiet and worth the money ! Another word of advise. It is not safe to take a "bus". You must be careful with Taxi's for that matter as well. I would only take a taxi that was in front of a Guatemala City Hotel. They dont work soley for the hotel, but the staff there know them, they have their information, names, license number, etc. If you decide to stay in Antigua it is best to hire a private driver. I have the name of a wonderful man who speaks great english and love his country. He has a nice van with seat belts and will take you to Antigua, share lots of information and only charge $30-40 dollars. He is a go to guy for just about anything. He can also customize options for you if you want to take day tours to other parts of Guatemala. I cannot recommend him enough. I hope this information helped a little bit.. and if there is anything else you have questions on let me know !
