Hotel Origen

We stayed four nights, and the staff were helpful. Not many spoke English, but everyone made a real effort to understand us and get us what we needed, including arranging airport transport. Restaurants, galleries, the heart of Centro, and the artisan market were all an easy short walk away. It's tricky to find the entrance. There's no “Hotel Origen” sign or posted address, just a simple “Hotel” sign in a doorway. We arrived several hours before check-in, but they prepared the room and got us in quickly. The front desk is one flight up from street level, and the room was another flight up. The windows don't face the street, so there's no view, but that keeps noise down and makes for a better night's sleep. The hotel has working AC, which made it easy to get comfortable any time of day. The bed was large and fairly comfortable, and the room looked fairly modern.

We had a really poor stay. The room wasn't ready until 3 even though we arrived an hour before check-in. We'd been traveling in Central America for four months and hadn't had that happen before. With the pandemic going on and hotels empty, I felt they were being awkward about it. We'd booked a suite upgrade through booking that was meant to include a bath and coffee machine, but neither was in the room. When I complained, the hotel implied I should be grateful for what we got because I'd paid a good price. On our second evening, the man at the front desk and guests coming and going were extremely loud until 2 a.m. I eventually had to get up and ask people to be quiet, though that should have been the front desk's job. We were also asked to sign a form saying housekeeping wouldn't enter during our stay, but the maid cleaned the room while we were out on the first day. I don't have an issue with the cleaning itself, but if I'd known someone would go in, I wouldn't have left valuables in view. Neither of us slept well on the second night. I emailed to ask for a refund for one night's stay, which seemed fair, but got an ignorant, dismissive response. Don't stay here, in my opinion. There are surely better places in San Miguel that appreciate their guests and their money.

The room was very clean, and the staff were friendly. We arrived about an hour and a half before check-in and they let us in. Everything about the stay was great, and I'll definitely stay there again next time I visit.

It's only a block from Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the famous Cathedral, and the location is great for food, shopping, and views. The room was clean, the staff very friendly, and the price was very affordable. I'd highly recommend it and stay again when I come back.