Stay & Play

Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor, Antigua, Guatemala

Article and photography by Steve Gillick

The first words that come to mind when I think about our stay at the Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor in Antigua, Guatemala, are luxury, history, atmosphere, location and customer service. This turned out to be our hotel oasis-of-comfort in the middle of a Central American adventure that included El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Following a stay in Guatemala City, our guide drove us to the bustling market town of Chichicastenango, and then on to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Antigua. Founded in the 16th century, Antigua Guatemala (“Old Guatemala”) is famous for its Colonial-style churches and Spanish Baroque architecture, and our hotel was directly related.

After the invasion of Guatemala in 1523 by the Spanish Conquistador Don Pedro de Alvarado, under the orders of Hernán Cortés, an alliance was made with the Tlaxcaltecas people. To confirm this treaty, the Tlaxcaltecan leader, Xiconténcatl gave his daughter, Princess Tecuilhuatzin to Cortés as a wife. Cortés in turn gave the Princess, now baptized as Doña Luisa, to Alvarado, and one of their offspring was Doña Leonor, after whom our hotel was named.

After a very pleasant welcome by the hotel staff, we were led to the 2nd floor where the tiled corridor decorated with antique couches, dressers, chests and paintings overlooked the beautifully sculpted central courtyard, showcasing a fountain surrounded by manicured shrubs, leafy trees and vines. And then when our room door was opened we were in what could only be described as ‘historical-luxury-shock’! Our large balconied room featured dark-stained wooden floors and doors, inlaid painted wall panels, a glistening crystal chandelier, stylish antique furniture and paintings, a marble fireplace, and as the center of attention, a plush King bed with carved posts supporting an ornate wooden canopy, and elegantly draped with deep blue velvet curtains. Our first reaction was that we wouldn’t leave the room at all during our stay!

But we were in Antigua, and very close to all the major cultural, historical and architectural sites including the Outdoor Market, the Iglesia de la Merced (1767), the Church of San Francisco (1542), the Palacio de los Capitaines Generales (1549), the Convent of Las Capuchinas (1736) and the Santa Catalina Arch (1694) through which photos of the Agua Volcano can be spectacular on a clear, sunny day.

And on Calle De Arco (the Street of the Arch) visitors can interact with Guatemalan tradition and culture at Nimpot, one of the most unique handicraft stores on the planet. As collectors of wooden masks and statues, we were simply captivated!

The restaurant at the Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor is top notch with white tablecloths, excellent food and service. We also explored local restaurants and found that even those ‘across town’ were only a 20-30 minute walk from the hotel.

When in one of the most important historical and cultural cities in Guatemala, a stay at the Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor can only enhance the experience.

www.palaciodeleonor.com