I have just spent one night at the Jungle Lodge as part of a Tikal /Livingstone package and found it to be ok. The double room was basic but clean. It was not ensuite but there were good clean shower and wc blocks nearby, and towels provided. The electricity goes off overnight but oil lamps are provided (might be an idea to pack a torch!) The staff were ok, there is a small pool to cool down in and you are right next to the Jungle. I had no complaints.

Jungle Lodge was fun! One morning we greeted our neighbour who turned out to be a DJ from Michigan and we all went into this familiar riff and rant about the world economy and how the American sub-prime market had sent houses prices spiralling downwards, we talked about the war, and leaving the US and the UK for good. And all the while howler monkeys and parrots in the trees above maintained their own cacophonous conversations about how mass tourism is wrecking the Peten . . .

Our tour operator - Journey Latin America - had booked us into Jungle Lodge with a warning about the food and the service. In fact, the food was OK, given that you don’t expect or indeed want foie gras or lobster. They did a chewy but tasty steak, with decent fries, washed down with Chilean pinot noir. They could even fry an egg for breakfast. And service was with a smile, though they did not like you signing for your dinner and paying on check-out. Maybe they have had some walk-outs in the past.

The jungle setting is delightfully natural and the terracotta-colored chalets scattered about makes for a pleasant little community. It really doesn’t matter which room you are given. The rooms themselves lack adequate soundproofing and could do with some cosmetic improvements, like replacing the vaguely English country chintz fabric and dreary curtains with some authentic, vibrant Guatemalan fabrics. The hotel is also a bit mean-spirited or thoughtless about providing basic jungle amenities like mozzie spray, umbrellas and torches - the lights go out at 10pm-ish. The bathroom and shower actually worked. At $150 a night, though, it’s not good value, but I guess you are paying for the setting and location. Certainly this place looks a lot better than the two other lodges here - Jaguar Inn and Tikal Inn - which looked totally cheerless.

The grand plaza of Tikal is a 20-30-minute walk away. Of course, the site is fairly awesome and the jungle contains some marvelous birds and beasts, but as someone who has previously been to places like Delphi, Petra, Leptis Magna, Angkor and Karnak, Tikal is a bit limited and one-dimensional. It’s not a memory I will cherish for long, I think. Our guide, by the way, was Eric and he was outstanding, especially once he saw that we were carrying binoculars - the carparks and reservoir near the entrance to Jungle Lodge has the best birdwatching we thought.

There is nothing wrong with the accommodation at Jungle Lodge. The towels are luxurious, the bathrooms nice and the rooms are clean and comfortable. Check in is quick and friendly, and they speak exceptionally good english. But - with the power shutting off at 10pm the rooms are dark and hot. There is very little insulation between the room on the other side of the cabana so you can hear conversations, coughing, doors opening and closing. Then, when you finally fall asleep the howler monkeys start with their incredible noises and it's a night without much sleep.

BUT - Tikal at sunset and at a sunrise really is the best part. It's quiet and the wild life is abundant (we saw at least 25 monkeys!), and it's magical. And staying at the jungle lodge is the best option in the area. You are literally right at the entrance of the grounds, so it's PERFECT. We hired a park guard as our tour guide for the sunrise tour (saved about $20US by doing that and were in a group of 4 instead of 20 like the hotel provides), and we woke up at 4:20 and were walking into the park at 4:30 because the rooms are so close to the entrance.

The pool is wonderful and it's a great way to get a little sun and cool off before dinner or after a day in the ruins. It's very clean and in a nicely landscaped area so it's lovely. There are apparently toucans that frequent the area around the pool but we didn't see them.

The restaurant was ok. I thought it was extremely expensive for mediocre service and average food. Especially compared to what we'd been enjoying at Maya Mountain Lodge in Belize.

But, if you just want one night by Tikal this is a great option. Just know what you're getting into, and come prepared with good ear plugs and a flashlight.

We stayed 2 nights and it was much better than we expected. Spacious cabanas spread round the grounds, roomy inside. The best thing was the wildlife all around - howler monkeys kicking up a racket and lots of birds; the pool seemed well - maintained. Restaurant very pleasant and food quite good. Right by the entrance to the site.Overall Jungle Lodge is good value for money at US$102 inc breakfast for a double and $77 single. Only problem we had was booking - its an office somewhere else and they seemed rather sleepy - I had to ring a couple of times to confirm the booking.
In the morning (8am) we had a guide Carlos who was very good and knowledgeable. Tixal itself is pretty amazing, especially the Plaza Major. Unless you want to see the sunrise you don't neeed to start at 6am, but it was well worth being right there. We went back again without a guide in the evening.
We drove from Belize and had no sign of security problems on the way and round Tikal it seemed quite safe.