Hotel Aurora

This is only about the laundry service, not the hotel. We were glad to find it open at 7 p.m. when other places had shut and our clothes were wet. A load cost 40 Quetzales, and same-day pickup, sometimes in about two hours, was handy. But the dirt stains from our hike were still there, the clothes had no detergent smell, and everything was shoved into a bag instead of folded, so it came out wrinkled. Every other laundry service I've tried was better.

We came only for dinner on the third floor and were charged 262.5Q on a 205Q bill, which is 25% more. When we returned to ask about it, the waiter acted confused, and the owner got upset and said, “this is not Japan”. We aren't Japanese, and insulting customers over their skin color after overcharging them felt racist against Asians. They add a 10% service charge and another 5% for credit cards. Nearby restaurants don't all charge that 5%, and some don't add the 10% either. Ask for a printed receipt and check what you're paying. This was dishonest, greedy behavior, and I was appalled. Please support restaurants that don't cut corners or insult customers. I wonder what they're teaching their children about cheating people.

The big, clean room had a lovely balcony with chairs facing the lake. The shower was another story, just one hose-like stream, with no pressure or heat. They'd also painted the balcony railing without putting up a sign, so we got paint on ourselves.

The room was large and well priced, and the location by the water was convenient. A tuktuk ride to the airport took only fifteen minutes, and the laundry service was good. For a one-night stay, we found two things frustrating: the bathroom was tiny, and the kitchen was so poorly equipped that we had to keep asking staff for things. It felt like we were bothering them, and there were only two plates and four pieces of cutlery.