Hotel Aurora Antigua

Check-in begins at 3pm at a hotel that has been receiving guests since 1926. Hotel Aurora stands two blocks from Central Park in Antigua Guatemala, a colonial city UNESCO listed as a Heritage of Humanity site in 1965. It was built by Mariano Castañeda, a local merchant who sold his shop during the Depression to open what became the city's first hotel. Five generations of his family have kept it running since. The building holds 20 rooms across five categories, from single to a suite sleeping six, each with a private bathroom, hairdryer and cable TV. A courtyard fountain sits at the centre of the property, audible from the surrounding rooms at night. Rates include continental breakfast, a spread of fruit, granola, bread and coffee or tea, served each morning before guests head out to the city. Staff are long-term and multilingual, a fact repeat guests often mention. The location puts San José Cathedral, La Merced Church and the Colonial Art Museum within walking distance, and Pacaya Volcano is a common day trip at 50 km away. It is a compact stay, built for people who want to be near the park and the churches without noise or spectacle. Wi-Fi is free throughout. The hotel's age shows less in wear than in habit: the same courtyard, the same fountain, the same family, for nearly a century.