If you ever are fortunate enough to go to Guatemala then you should explore some of the lesser known cities. One of the lesser known Guatemalan cities that you should explore is Alta Varapz. If you are going to Alta Varapaz there is a nice inexpensive hostel you can stay at called the Hotel Villa Santa Elena. It may be a hostel but it is a destination in its own right and while it may not be the Ritz it is not what you would expect from a hostel either.
The first thing that you will notice about the Hotel Villa Santa Elena is the price. The Hotel Villa Santa Elena is very affordable starting at only about $6 a night. Affordable does not necessarily mean cheap but depending on your room accommodations it can here. For $6 you have to share a room with 4 other people which is not to many for a hostel and you will be getting about what you would expect from a hostel experience. If you are willing to pay double you can have your own room or for a few dollars more just share with one other person which is not a big deal if you are traveling with others anyway.
The Hotel Villa Santa Elena may be cheap but it is not without some amenities. One great amenity it has is free wi-fi. Many expensive hotels in the US do not give you free Internet so to get it out here and to get it free with a room that only cost $6 is amazing. The Internet alone is worth the price of the room but wait there is more, a breakfast is also included.
While the Hotel Villa Santa Elena has rooms that are not upto par with a Motel 6 in the states as you may have many people in one room if you splurge and get a private room then the rooms are not bad. The room do include air conditioning and fans too.
There is a restaurant and a bar. The restaurant and bar are one and the same and the seats are just cheap plastic but a Motel 6 does not offer a lunch or dinner at a reasonable price. Part of the fun of a hostel is meeting the people at the hostel and if you get a private room you will not get this unless you eat in the restaurant. There is also a small garden in the middle of the Villa and this is another nice place to meet others and share your stories.
While the building itself does not look very nice on the outside the inside is not bad. There is not much more room besides rooms, restaurant, and a small check in. The Hotel Villa Santa Elena is in Varapaz Guatemala which is nice to visit as it is still very undeveloped. Many parts of of Guatemala are now more developed in large cities but Varapaz lets you see how Guatemala was 50 years ago. If you are looking for a quiet, beautiful, slower pace then the Hotel Villa Santa Elena will give you what you want.
