My wife, 10 year old son and I spent 5 nights at the Casa Encantada over New Year’s 2008. We enjoyed our stay, and would recommend the hotel to others.

We stayed in the rooftop suite. It was comprised of a single, largish (compared to the rest of the rooms) bedroom and a large (by any standard) bathroom that had both a shower and a whirlpool bathtub. Both the bedroom and bathroom were bright (2 large picture windows facing the Agua volcano on one side, 3 smaller windows overlooking the rooftop terrace on the other). The linens were of first quality, and the bed (and pillows) very comfortable. Our son was given a cot, which he pronounced very comfortable. The bedroom had two easy chairs for reading, and a corner fireplace (we never used it). There was a small, one-chair terrace gated off from the rooftop terrace outside the room.

The hotel was guilty of an annoying habit echoed by too many hotels lately – a “suite” (dictionary definition: “a connected series of rooms to be used together”) should include a sitting area separated from a bedroom by a door – and the rooftop “suite” was nothing of the sort. That said, it was a comfortable “room.”

The weather in Antigua in December/January was about perfect for use of the rooftop terrace. Breakfasts were outside and late afternoon snacks and drinks were outside. All in temperatures of mid-60’s to mid-70’s, with bright sunshine. The breakfasts were just fine – not very large, but certainly adequate and well-prepared.

All of the front desk staff spoke good English, and were friendly and engaging. I decided to change a dinner reservation one night, and that was handled efficiently and with a smile. The hotel manager made other reservations for us in advance via email – all handled extremely well.

The hotel’s location is away from the main square, but not too far. We were only a 5 minute walk from the plaza. There was a decent amount of noisy bus traffic on of the cross streets, but the suite, being on the top floor, was generally insulated from that noise.

I have one caution for others considering a stay here. I like bright rooms where I can sleep with open windows. The rooftop suite had both attributes. All the remaining rooms (all but 2 are on the ground floor), would appear to me to be much darker because (i) either they face the street, and one would not want the windows open to the street or (ii) they face the inner courtyard, and privacy would dicate a closed window and/or closed curtains. So, be forewarned if you have my predilections. That said, from the other reviews here those limitations don’t appear to affect others’ stays.

I’d be very happy to return to the rooftop suite at the Casa Encantada. With the caveat above, I’d recommend the hotel to others.

There is nothing that I can say to add to the multitude of compliments for this hotel listed here. A wonderful little gem with amazing personal service that is worth every penny. Will definitely stay here again when I return to Antigua.

Casa Encantada is one of the best hotels in which we have stayed in Guatemala. It is not one of the large "Chain Hotels" and has a lot of character. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel was very clean and neat. If I didn't know better, I would think our room was fairly new. The showers had plenty of hot water too! (something many hotels in Guatemala do not have). The hotel also is very close to the town square and Catedral de Antigua (about 4 blocks south). It is just south of the Hotel Antigua. I would definitely stay at Casa Encantada again.

If you stay in Casa Encantada's roof-top suite, as we did, you will find it is comfortable, spacious, beautifully furnished and quiet. We heard other guests, who stayed on the first floor, complaining about the street noise. The staff at Casa Encantada were unsurpassed--each one was extremely helpful, doing everything possible to insure a pleasant stay. We were there for 5 nights and had a fabulous time.