This article contains affiliate links, that may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
If you’re a design lover like me, choosing where to stay in Antigua Guatemala is a blessing and a curse.
Antigua’s cobblestone streets are lined with restored mansions, with bright flowers bursting from window boxes and grand wooden doors leading to leafy internal courtyards. Tranquil fountains decorated with a mosaic of patterned tiles sit next to narrow spiral staircases that wind upwards to quaint rooftop terraces with volcano views.
There are dozens of stunning design-forward hostels and hotels for all budgets, that draw on this gorgeous city’s charming aesthetics and colonial style.
Staying in a historic, boutique accommodation is a rite of passage in Antigua. Fully immersing yourself in the city’s incredible design culture is part of the Antigua experience, just as important as frequenting the many aesthetic cafes, trendy restaurants and rooftop bars.
I spent weeks looking for the perfect place to stay in Antigua Guatemala, that ticked all my boxes – a historic boutique design, views of the surrounding volcanoes and some kind of outdoor space, either a courtyard or rooftop terrace.
This post is a culmination of all my research, and our extended wanderings around the city, peeking inside all the aesthetic entryways we passed.
This isn’t just a list of the best or most popular hotels and hostels. It’s a list of design-focused accommodation options in Antigua, with architecture and interiors that embody the city’s colonial history and rich Mayan culture.
Planning a trip to Antigua
STOP! Before you keep reading about where to stay in Antigua Guatemala, I’d recommend reading our Antigua travel guide first. It covers all the other important info you need to know about the city, like getting there, getting around and other handy tips to get your bearings.
OUR ANTIGUA TRAVEL GUIDES ⛪️☕️🌋
Top boutique picks in Antigua
Which area is best to stay in Antigua?
For a first-time visit or a short trip, you want to be as close to the historic centre as possible. The city branches out from Parque Central, so anywhere around there is good, and is close to the top sights and best restaurants.
Most of my recommended boutique stays are located in the heart of the city, but there are a few gems on the outskirts of the city. There are a handful of small neighbourhoods surrounding the historic centre that are still very accessible to the city with a 10 – 20 minute walk. I’ve indicated below which options are a little further out.
We stayed about 15 minutes walk from Parque Central in the quiet neighbourhood of Santa Ana and we were very happy there. The walk was lovely, and the city felt very safe day and night. Ubers are plentiful and affordable, it only cost a couple of bucks if we didn’t want to walk.
Wherever you decide, pop it into Google Maps and check how long it will take you to walk to Parque Central. All these boutique hotels are pinned on my Guatemala Google Map.
Best boutique hostels in Antigua Guatemala
Ojala
- 💰 Average price per night – $18 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – dorms and privates
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – free breakfast, cafe and bar
Oh Ojala, how pretty you are! To me, Ojala embodies everything Antigua does well.
It has a sophisticated, historic vibe with pops of colour from local Maya textiles and décor. The courtyard is a burst of green, with ivy climbing the walls and leafy plants filling every corner. Their rooftop terrace is small but beautifully furnished, with an uninterrupted view of the volcanoes.
Offering both dorms and private rooms, it excels as a hostel and as a budget hotel. It’s a friendly but quiet vibe, so if hostels aren’t usually your thing, you will still thoroughly enjoy a stay at Ojala in a private room. It’s too beautiful to dismiss as just a hostel!
Casi Casa
- 💰 Average price per night – $15 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – dorms and privates
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – pool, sauna, bar, free breakfast
From the powerhouses that created Maya Papaya and Ojala, Casi Casa is one of the best hotels in Antigua Guatemala.
It ticks every box – situated in a colonial house, roof terrace with volcano views, a gorgeous courtyard with tons of hang-out spaces, dripping with greenery and even a small swimming pool and sauna.
Barbara’s Boutique Hostel
- 💰 Average price per night – $20 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – dorms and privates
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – communal kitchen, free breakfast, free daily afternoon tea
A home away from home! Barbara’s Boutique Hostel is a haven inside an old colonial mansion. Their courtyard feels like a jungle, with plants everywhere. They have a fully equipped kitchen (including spices!) if you want to cook meals, but they also include free breakfast daily and afternoon tea with cake and tea/coffee.
The staff are so helpful and friendly, and the property is exceptionally clean. They’ve got a roof terrace too. The rooms are the perfect mix of colonial style with modern amenities, and all the dorms have privacy curtains, lights and plugs.
🍰 Free afternoon tea? Yes please! Book in at Barbara’s Boutique Hostel
Adra Hostel
- 💰 Average price per night – $20 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 8.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – dorms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes (restaurant)
- 👙 Other amenities – restaurant and bar
Adra has one of the best roof terraces in the city. It’s an explosion of colour and greenery with uninterrupted views of the volcanoes to gaze out at.
They have a restaurant and bar on-site that offers breakfast and meals throughout the day, but it is open to non-guests so the rooftop can be a little busy at times and often stays open quite late in the evenings.
They only offer dorm rooms, no privates, but the beds are pod-style with curtains, individual fans, lights and plugs with a shelf. It’s on the pricier end for a hostel, but the design, décor and vibes are impeccable!
💰 HOSTELS: HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Best mid-range boutique hotels in Antigua Guatemala
Cacao Boutique Hotel
- 💰 Average price per night – $125 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9/10
- 📍 Location – outskirts of the historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – free breakfast
Cacao is all my boho dreams come true! Preserving the historic feel of the building, they’ve incorporated a light, bright and earthy style. Think white-washed walls, rattan, greenery and neutral tones.
The value for money is excellent, with free breakfast included daily. Many of the rooms include bathtubs, perfect for soaking weary muscles, and some open directly onto the courtyard, which is dripping with tropical plants.
The rooftop terrace has views out to the volcanoes, with festoon lights strung overhead and cosy lounges to relax and enjoy breakfast or a coffee.
It’s slightly outside the centre of town, about 10 – 15 minutes additional walk. The neighbourhood is very safe with security to enter the area, and the hotel’s door is always closed with 24/7 security to buzz you in.
💭 Book your stay at the boho hotel of my dreams Cacao Boutique Hotel
Villas de la Ermita
- 💰 Average price per night – $70 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9/10
- 📍 Location – outskirts of the historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private villas with bathrooms and kitchens
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – swimming pool
Villas de la Ermita is where we stayed for our visit to Antigua. It was the perfect balance of affordable, yet historic and charming. It had everything I was looking for in a hotel, with a rooftop terrace overlooking Volcan Agua, a leafy courtyard with greenery and a fountain, and sophisticated styling in the rooms.
Even better was that the rooms were individual self-contained villas with a small kitchenette, which was perfect for us. Oh, and they’ve since added a small swimming pool too!
The only downside of the property is that it is located outside the historic centre, in the quiet neighbourhood of Santa Ana. Personally, this wasn’t a problem for us and we really enjoyed the stroll each day into the city, passing through a nice park. An Uber to or from the city was easy to order and didn’t cost more than a few dollars if we needed it.
The value for money, quality and style of Villas de la Ermita more than makes up for its location.
Good Hotel
- 💰 Average price per night – $180 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – no
- 🪴 Roof terrace – no
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – café/bar on-site, neighbouring restaurant
Good is more than just a name here. 100% of the operational margins of Good Hotel go to doing good, supporting the local charity Niños de Guatemala who provide education to local children.
It’s one of the more modern hotels in Antigua, with a clean, minimalist design. Think Scandinavian vibes, bright white with pops of colour, and adorable portraits of the local kids who have been able to attend school from the hotel’s contributions.
The courtyard is full of established plants and trees, with many communal spaces to sit and relax or work scattered around the property.
Posada El Antaño
- 💰 Average price per night – $80 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 8.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – free breakfast
A very lovely female-owned and operated hotel in the heart of Antigua. Posada El Antaño is set in a restored colonial house, the styling is impeccable and perfectly suited to the city.
Some of the rooms are a little dark, which is not uncommon in these historic mansions. The king suite with a private patio is worth the upgrade for some extra light.
Luckily there are plenty of airy, bright spaces to enjoy in the courtyard and on the rooftop terrace. There is a spectacular vantage of Agua Volcano, the staff are very friendly and helpful and the price-to-value ratio is incredible.
💰💰 MID-RANGE HOTELS: HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Best luxury boutique hotels in Antigua Guatemala
El Convento Boutique Hotel
- 💰 Average price per night – $250 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – pool, spa, restaurant and bar, free breakfast
El Convento is the epitome of boutique luxury in Antigua. The historic building feels like you’ve stepped into the past, with the convenience of modern amenities and faultless service.
The décor and styling is the height of sophistication, with dark wood, distressed walls and lavish bathrooms. The rooms are very spacious, many with bathtubs and fireplaces, and the higher categories have private terraces which are worth the splurge.
The courtyard has a swimming pool, and the entire space is covered in greenery with vines climbing the walls. You can choose to take your included breakfast on the rooftop terrace, with a view over the volcanoes.
Posada del Angel
- 💰 Average price per night – $220 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – pool, free breakfast
Oozing with historic charm, Posada del Angel is a small, intimate hotel with just a handful of rooms. The style stays close to its colonial roots with tasteful and sophisticated décor.
The rooftop terrace has excellent views of the volcanoes and is a very usable space with dining tables, lounges and umbrellas. The included breakfast can be enjoyed on the terrace.
The rooms are cosy with fireplaces, luxurious four-post beds and beautiful bathrooms, and the higher room categories have relaxing spa baths.
Hotel Boutique Los Pasos
- 💰 Average price per night – $300 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 9/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – yes
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – spa, free breakfast
Light, bright, airy and modern whilst retaining a sophisticated and historic feel, Los Pasos is a fantastic option in central Antigua.
The grounds are a maze of perfectly manicured gardens, with tranquil fountains and bright flowers. Their rooftop terrace has an expansive vista of all three volcanoes, with plenty of seating areas.
The higher-category suites offer the best value. Some of them are dual-storey with a cosy sitting area and patio downstairs, and bedroom and bathroom upstairs. The tiling in the bathroom is dreamy, and some rooms have bathtubs.
Casa Santo Domingo
- 💰 Average price per night – $300 USD + check prices for your dates
- ⭐️ Average rating – 8.5/10
- 📍 Location – historic centre
- 🛏️ Room types – private rooms with bathrooms
- 🌋 Volcano views – yes
- 🪴 Roof terrace – no
- ⛲️ Internal courtyard – yes
- 👙 Other amenities – spa, pool, museums, galleries, archaeological sites, restaurants
I cannot have a list of boutique hotels in Antigua Guatemala without mentioning Casa Santo Domingo. Like staying in a living piece of history, this sprawling complex is housed inside an old convent.
Featuring a hotel, six museums, two galleries, some archaeological sites, a luxurious spa and a handful of restaurants and dining areas, Santo Domingo is an Antigua institution. The gardens are simply divine, with greenery at every turn, tranquil fountains, lots of quiet seating areas, and remnants of the original convent.
One of the highlights of the property is the spa, which features an exclusive private pool, hot and cold baths, a sauna and treatment rooms. You can book a spa access room (adults only), where your room opens directly into the peaceful spa area.
Do note that this is a larger hotel, and the standard of service is mixed. There’s a reason this beautiful property is frequently ranked as one of the best places to stay in Antigua Guatemala, but it is not as small or intimate as some of the other hotels on this list.
💰💰💰 LUXURY HOTELS: HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Where to stay in Antigua Guatemala: Final thoughts
Antigua has some STUNNING boutique stays, no matter what your budget. We adored the city, and staying in a charming, historic hotel enhanced our experience.
There are so many things to do in and around Antigua, but don’t forget to build in a few hours each day to relax and enjoy your accommodation.
After reading this post, I know you’ll be booking a gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing hostel or hotel, so make sure you have time to appreciate it.
For more gorgeous stays in Guatemala, check out our post on the best hotels in Flores in the tropical north, and the best areas to stay in Lake Atitlan.
MORE ANTIGUA POSTS
