Jenna's River Bed & Breakfast

The rooms were comfortable and clean, with good beds, full bathrooms, daily towels and cleaning, and wifi. The setting is peaceful since it’s a little outside town, and the view of the lake and volcanoes from every room is stunning. Panajachel is still easy to reach by tuk-tuk in under ten minutes. Manager Yvan was a fantastic host, helping us with activity ideas and transport around the lake. The food and bar were also outstanding. Head Chef Norbert Cloutier is a real talent, and his Middle Eastern food was among the best I’ve had, even compared with restaurants in NYC where I live. This is the best place to stay at Lake Atitlan, in my opinion. I can’t recommend Jenna's enough, even if you just stop in for a meal.

It’s a quiet, serene place, so it may not suit you if you want to go out at night. The hotel is a bit far from the city, but they give you the number for a tuctuc driver you can call whenever you need a ride. We stayed one night and had a great time. The views from the rooms are unmatched, and everyone was very friendly. The front desk woman was kind, informative, and had great recommendations. We also had two amazing massages for about 100 USD total. Breakfast is included, dinner isn’t. I’d definitely recommend it.

The best thing about staying at Jenna’s River B&B was the two lovely cats, Samson and Delilah. They’re the friendliest roommates! The spa massages were wonderful, the staff arranged cheap, reliable TukTuks to whichever town we wanted, and they even did our laundry. They also found us the best priced transport back to the airport. Manu and the rest of the staff made the stay memorable, with thoughtful touches that made the place feel like home. You don’t come here for the most modern rooms in Guatemala, and some reviewers may find the rooms or linen outdated. We had everything we needed, though. The location between Panajechel and Santa Catarina was great, breakfast was fresh and free, and we enjoyed drinks at the cocktail bar every day. Good people, fair prices, great vibes. I’ll always come back here when I’m in Panajechel.

I only tried the Syrian restaurant, Al Jouri Kitchen, and had a fantastic experience. Chef Jorge’s Baba Ghanoush was especially phenomenal. I liked it so much that I had to ask him what the secret ingredient was. The place felt cozy, the staff were warm and attentive, and I’m recommending it to all my friends.