Plaza Hotel and Suites

Set on a street corner in San Salvador, Plaza Hotel and Suites keeps to the grid of the capital's business district, a short drive from the city's parks and its international airport. The building is functional rather than showy: suites over a garden and terrace, a pool cut into the courtyard, a gym for early risers. Rooms come with carpeted floors and soundproof walls, a nod to a city that does not sleep quietly. Each suite has a kitchenette with a microwave, useful for a stay measured in days rather than nights. Beds vary by room, one or two, with a sofa bed folded into the seating area for a third guest. Bathrooms have walk-in showers and hairdryers; safes are built into the wardrobes. A flat-screen TV runs cable channels in every suite, and a tea and coffee maker sits on the desk. Breakfast is served each morning, and a bar and restaurant handle the rest of the day. It is a straightforward base, not a landmark, and it treats itself that way: lifts to the upper floors, wake-up calls on request, and staff who assume you are here for work as often as not. San Salvador's international airport lies about 35 km away. The hotel does not compete on spectacle; it competes on being close, comfortable, and easy to book.