El Carmen Suites

I stayed here on a few separate nights while coming and going from Antigua for mini trips. They let me leave my bags at the desk, and arriving or leaving at odd hours, including a 5am start, was no problem. The laundry was quick and could be done overnight. The location is handy, a short walk to the central plaza but away from the crowded area. Breakfast had plenty of good choices, the beds were really comfortable, and the place was clean. My only small gripes were that some rooms had no bedside lamp, so you had to cross the room to switch off the light, and there could be street noise. Still a very good experience.

The free breakfast was delicious, especially the orange juice. Staff were really friendly and always greeted us when we came and went, and they cleaned every day. They made our stay at El Carmen Suites very pleasant. I'd stay again or recommend it to a friend.

We ended up in room 5, which was fine, after changing rooms twice. Room 20 had a smelly bathroom, and room 4 had too much street noise. The hotel is in a good location, the rooms were clean, and the staff are wonderful. But the strong air fresheners smell very toxic, and the building isn't soundproof, so noise carries from outside and inside.

The terrace restaurant is nice, and the view from up there is quite beautiful. The hotel itself is very cute. Service, though, was terrible. They didn't tell me the parking was half a block down the street in another direction, so I had to walk back and forth in the rain. I paid a $15 fee for my service dog, then another fee at the end because of dog hair in the room. Staff had said they'd provide a dog bed, but they didn't, so she used her own, which wasn't exactly hair-free after traveling. There are plenty of other hotels around, and I'd recommend trying one of those.