Best thing was the nicely kept grounds, clean private rooms and very helpful staff member named Freddy. My kids loved the video games, pool table and table tennis. Restaurant was okay. Menu was a bit limited and lacked common Guatemalan items like licuados and smoothies, however after talking to two restaurant staff I was able to get one. The restaurant lacks comfortable seating and the tables could be cleaned more often. I just asked them to clean my table and they happily did. Some restaurant staff were friendlier than others. The nightly buffet was generous, affordable and quite good; I was happy with all the steamed veggies they served on the first night. But, overall I thought the restaurant could be improved.
The location of this lodge alone deserves 5 stars. Set alongside the river just outside of Lanquin and covered with beautiful gardens, what will first strike you about this place is the serenity. The large common / restaurant area next to a private water hole with swing rope next to the river only adds to the beauty of this venue. We had changed hostels as my wife was not well and needed the space of a private room and we were so lucky to have had this gem only 300m down the road. Food is also relatively inexpensive here with buffets for dinner between Q40-Q60, depending on the meal and breakfasts and lunches for Q25-Q45. They can also arrange all your tours and onwards journeys at reasonable rates too, which were lower than where we had stayed previously. The private room that we chose for Q230 had no A/C, but this was not an issue for us. It came with its own hammock and chair outside as well. We were also close to the restaurant and still had decent wifi strength from there. The shared bathroom showers were also warm. If you are looking for tranquil place that is great value to relax then this is it!…
We booked the Semuc Champey day tour with El Retiro and it was one of the best days we had throughout our entire trip. We communicated via WhatsApp and they were very quick and accurate with their responses. The price Q185 is fair considering there is transport, the cave tour and some tubing included on top of the park and two guides the entire day. This trip is not for the really unfit or faint hearted though. Even the ride in the jeep is adventurous (and exhausting) and the cave activity and various (optional) waterfall jumps are for adrenaline seekers. Would highly recommend for people looking for a fun, adventurous day out!
Lodge is like a tropical oasis. Nestled in the mountains on the Lanquin river it is like a tropical oasis with hammocks, bar, pool, table tennis etc. right by the river. Lot of thatched huts and gardens make it look like a mountain resort. They book tours to Semuc Champey, Kanba caves etc. There is a choice between backpacker dorms and rooms. Rooms are nothing great from inside but the atmosphere in the entire lodge is the main attraction
They have 24 service desk which was very helpful bcs the place is so far that we got there late night. Don't drive at night time here especially if you are driving a small car, the road is not in good condition, you need a big car. The place is great, but they need more rooms with A/C. I'm giving it 4 points for the A/C & bcs we had a problem with our toilet which didn't get fixed, so we paid more for a private bathroom, but ended up using the public ones they have for everybody.
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