Hotel Gardenia Inn

Fitted with breakfast bars, microwaves and mini fridges, the rooms at Hotel Gardenia Inn work as much like small apartments as hotel rooms. The hotel sits near the centre of San Salvador, within reach of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Theater and the Monument to the Divine Savior of the World. It holds 48 rooms across four types, from the Standard Single to the Double Suite, each with a work desk, cable TV and a private bathroom with hot water. The Double Suite adds a separate living area with a sofa and a view over the garden. Outside, a pool and a stretch of open lawn give the property a quieter register than its downtown address suggests, backed by a small patch of forest. There is a gym for a morning routine and free Wi-Fi throughout. For meetings, three event rooms handle different scales: Salón Veranera seats eight around an imperial table, while Salón Primavera and Salón Girasol each hold up to 35, in classroom, horseshoe or round-table layouts. Breakfast is included. Parking is free and private, and the front desk runs around the clock. It is a hotel built less for lingering than for getting on with things, whether that means a training session, a family trip, or a night before an early flight out of San Salvador.