The Best Hotels in Flores, Guatemala, for Every Traveler

Sunset at the lake Peten Itza in Guatemala
Sunset at the lake Peten Itza in Guatemala | © Svetlana Bykova / Alamy Stock Photo
Alex Robinson

If you’re taking in Tikal’s ruins and rainforest, you’ll likely stay in this lakeside town on the shores of Guatemala’s Petén Itzá Lake. Discover our guide to the best hotels in Flores and book your stay with Culture Trip.

Flores is the main jumping-off point for Tikal’s spectacular Mayan ruins – whose temple-top platforms hover over a seemingly endless rainforest canopy – and the capital of Guatemala’s wild Petén department. It sits in and around jewel-like Petén Itzá lake, with a thread-like causeway connecting the waterborne old town with the shoreside suburb. It’s not just hotels that entice you to stay a while: the lake is an important wildlife haven, with crocodiles basking in the shallows and the surrounding rainforest flutters with macaws and spider monkeys in the trees.

Bolontiku Boutique Hotel

Spa Hotel

The outdoor pool at Bolontiku Boutique Hotel in Flores.
Courtesy of Bolontiku Boutique Hotel / Expedia

The rooms to book at this lakeshore hotel, a 15-minute boat transfer from Flores, are the Mirador or Riviera suites. Sleeping four, they have sweeping views of the lake from the foot of the bed and the large hardwood balconies. The lovely lakeside location is also matched by a wealth of wildlife in the hotel’s private reserve, where walking trails and birdwatching tours await.

Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel

Boutique Hotel

Spacious and styllish twin suite at Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel in Flores.
Courtesy of Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel / Expedia

Sitting on the lakeshore in just over 300 acres (121ha) of private rainforest reserve, Las Lagunas is in-the-jungle chic. Rainforest hikes and wild kayaking by day are offset by spoiling spa-side massages and romantic lakeside dining by night. Rooms are opulently outfitted in rich woods and wall-high windows open to reveal balconies, private jacuzzis and lake views. Tours take you to Tikal and other nearby sites, such as Yaxha and Topoxté, in style.

La Lancha by Francis Ford Coppola

Hotel

A lakeside jetty with sun-loungers and hammocks, overlooking the Lago Petén Itzá at La Lancha Hotel in Flores.
Courtesy of La Lancha by Francis Ford Coppola / Expedia

It’s nature that gets star-billing at director Francis Ford Coppola’s lakeshore retreat – which, despite its silver-screen pedigree, is more understated than many of the plush lodges that dot the Flores lakeshore. Rooms with whitewashed walls and palm-thatched roofs are modestly furnished and decorated with Guatemalan textiles and locally made crafts. But they open on to rainforest trees, flitting with birds and framing the lake itself. The hotel’s activity menu immerses guests in the wild as well – on jungle trails, horseback rides and in kayaks.

Hacienda San Vicente

Hotel

The historic exterior of Hacienda San Vicente Hotel in Flores.
Courtesy of Hacienda San Vicente / Expedia

You can imagine Zorro swinging off the chandeliers or sword-fighting on the cloistered balconies in this Spanish colonial-style ranch, set in tropical gardens south of Flores town. Or perhaps Zorro in middle age, mask off, happily married and shooting down the water slide into the family-sized swimming pool. There’s a good restaurant (serving Guatemalan comfort cooking), whirlpool tubs in the rooms, breakfast is included and it’s a snip of the price of luxury hotels on the lakeshore.

Hotel Maya Internacional

Hotel

The outdoor pool and terrace at Hotel Maya Internacional, set directly on the shore of Petén Itzá Lake.
Courtesy of Hotel Maya Internacional / Expedia

Rooms at the Hotel Maya are sparsely furnished and come in plain whites and beiges, but there’s a lake view from the bed – and from the pool… and the shoreside restaurant… The hotel looks especially pretty at night – lit up with hanging lights that glimmer in the water and illuminate trails running through the lush tropical garden. The hotel can organise tours to the Mayan sites and lake excursions, too.

Zapote Tree Inn

Hotel

Light-filled twin room at Zapote Tree Inn in Flores, decorated with vibrant furnishings.
Courtesy of Zapote Tree Inn / Booking.com

Rooms are backpacker-basic at Zapote Tree Inn, with colorful fabrics draped over beds and adorning windows. But the Zapote sits in lush surrounds, with a little pool, big rooftop sundeck and a waterside bar. Views, over the water to the island of old Flores, are beautiful, especially in the evening when the city lights reflect off the lake’s surface.

Hotel Casa Amelia

Hotel

Colourful deckchairs overlooking Lake Petén at Hotel Casa Amelia.
Courtesy of Hotel Casa Amelia / Expedia

Accommodation in this small, family-run guesthouse is simple – in whitewashed rooms, accented with art. But the best have lake views, which you also get over a generous breakfast that’s served on the terrace, overlooking the water. The hotel can organise a wealth of local tours, too – to Mayan sites, caves and the rainforest.

Hotel Casona de La Isla

Hotel, Budget Hotel

The outdoor pool at Hotel Casona de La Isla.
Courtesy of Hotel Casona de La Isla / Expedia

Smaller and more intimate than Hotel Casona del Lago, its big, blue sibling across the water, the Casona de la Isla sits in old Flores village with balconies and the al fresco restaurant and bar, perched over a pool and the lake. Rooms are well-kept, come with a big breakfast and good views. Its huge wealth of tours means guests head out to get active during the day, then return in time for sunset drinks on the deck.

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