Asuncion Palace Hotel

Asuncion Palace is a nineteenth-century building at Colón and Estrella, in the centre of Asunción. It was built in 1858 as the home of Venancio López, brother of Marshal Francisco Solano López, and the government has since listed it as a Cultural Property of the Nation. Eduardo Yubero, an immigrant from Segovia who arrived in Paraguay at nineteen, bought the property after years running other businesses and converted it into a hotel. The rooms keep period proportions but add air conditioning, minibars, television and Wi-Fi, so the old fabric runs alongside ordinary comforts. A balcony terrace looks over the river, and breakfast is served buffet-style, either continental or American, downstairs near the bar. There is a meeting room for small groups and laundry and transfer services at extra cost. Parking is limited, a detail worth noting for guests arriving by car. You can walk to the Asunción waterfront promenade, the López Palace, the cathedral and the Independence House Museum, all within the San Jerónimo district nearby. It suits a traveller who wants a base steeped in the city's republican history rather than a modern tower. Check-in staff work the front desk around the clock.