I know many others have said it, but I will say it again. The Posada Belen is truly a diamond in the rough. The surrounding neighborhood ain't all that pretty, but once you enter this authentically-decorated colonial-style hotel, you forget you are in the middle of Guatemala City. The central courtyard with its resident five turtles is an oasis at any time of the day.

The staff -- Rafael, Juan, Daniel, and Nilo -- are a great bunch of guys. The cook, Juan, is a real find. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner there on different days and every meal was excellent (except one dinner when the chicken was a bit dry I must admit).

The rooms are small by American standards, and the bathrooms are even smaller. But you just feel like every detail was chosen with great care.

The owner, Francesca, is really great too. She speaks English fluently and is there most evenings. So if you need to book a room and don't speak Spanish, call in the evening.

I highly recommend this hotel if you don't mind not having TV, can deal with small bathrooms with very weak water pressure and not the hottest water in the world, and don't mind eating at a communal table.

They do have internet, but it's cheaper to go to one of the local internet places.

A most original and friendly place! A charmnig Posada with a little garden in the middle and a huge amount of interesting things to look at. The rooms are simple but clean, and there is everything one needs including hot water in the shower. The food is excellent and the staff is lovely and always helpful. We booked through the Hotel's website, found in the "Rough Guide". We were picked up at the Airport at a small extra charge. We are delighted to recommend the Posada to anyone who dislikes the "universal" hotels.

Booked directly with the owners through their website but did not meet them while there. Used their airport transfer which was very efficient. Wake up call was a knock on the door in the morning.

The hotel is located in an area of town that is generally not considered safe but security at the hotel seemed good and did not encounter any problems walking in the surrounding areas.

The first night we were there they did not have dinner but were happy to make us pancakes and coffee in the evening. Like previous posts, there was no hot water and the shower was blocked so that after one person took a shower there was a standing pool of water at the bottom of the stone shower basin. The weather was also VERY cold when we were there and there was no heat. I spent the whole time shivering and couldn't sleep at all. The room was dimly lit, there was no TV and I would suggest bringing your own toiletries.

This is not an "old traditional style" hotel. It is an old house run as a small b&b in an old part of town. Guests that stay there will have to "make do" and not expect any amenities. It is a rather like renting a room from a local family rather than staying at a hotel with the usual guest services.

The staff was very friendly & accommodating and did seem to try, but be aware of what you want when deciding where to stay.

This is a very nice budget choice if you need to be in Guatemala City. Posada Belen is a inn surrounding an indoor garden on the outskirts of Guatemala City's old downtown center, Zona 1. The rooms all face the inside, which makes them dark, but quite secure--an issue in this area of Guate. The couple who owns the hotel are quite wonderful and very sweet. . .they greeted me when I arrived during a torrential rain downpour, and drove me to a restaurant for dinner. The staff of the hotel seems to look out for the guests, which is a nice advantage in a city with safety concerns.

The rooms are nicely decorated, albeit dark, and the bathrooms are serviceable. Showers are awful--with nearly no flow. I've gotten more wet when it sprinkles.

The cathedral and central plaza, with the national palace, are a few blocks away, as is the Mercado Central--which has some great bargains on textiles and handicrafts. Otherwise, this area of town is notably grungy--too bad, as it has great potential if its heritage buildings were to be renovated and kept up. Nearly every guidebook warns against walking after dark here--and the streets are notably desolate after nightfall, about 6:30 every night.

So beyond any judgments about Posada Belen, a more appropriate question might be why visit Guatemala City. For the record, it is very easy to leave the Guatemala City Airport directly for Antigua, and less than an hour's drive away to this colonial gem. There are certainly more attractive places in this wonderful country, and most every other city in Guatemala is more picturesque. Quite unfortunately, Guatemala City is ugly on a world-class scale--crowded, polluted by tomato red buses that belch thick black exhaust, and reputedly unsafe.

If you do make it here, your visit will not be without some merit. Nearby Posada Belen, there is a great Spanish restaurant, Altuna, noted for its phenomenal paella--a mound of rice, seafood, chicken, sausage--for less than $8. In a setting with 20 year veteran waiters, flowers, crisp tablecloths, and a classic wooden bar, this is a noteworthy bargain. Mercado Central has better prices on the usual Guatemalan souvenirs--t-shirts, embroidered dresses, etc. than you will find in Chichicastenago, Antigua, or Panajachel. If you are an aficionado of cheap knockoffs, the downtown streets have numerous Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger copies of varying quality. There is a great railway museum about 15 minutes walk from the hotel--Museo de Ferrocarril--great for kids, and even more amazingly, free. In Zona 4, a short cab ride from the hotel, there is a small pedestrian zone, Cuatro Grados Norte (4 degrees north) that is filled with sidewalk cafes and boutiques--once you are actually on the walking streets, this zone is safe enough to stroll after dark, and quite cosmopolitan in feel. . .try TaContento for better than average Mexican fare. The new airport is nearly complete, and will be quite nice when it is done--sleek, in a way not usual for this region. And finally, don't miss breakfast in the lobby of the Hotel Pan American--gracious and elegant in the hotel's landmark atrium. . .$8 will buy a near feast of fresh fruit, coffee/tea, eggs and ham/bacon, and a waffle, with a soundtrack of classical music and great old-world service (a fellow traveler at the airport raved about his stay here, though I didn't see the rooms myself)

Sadly, in a city where taking cabs after dark is a necessity, I found my experience with cabbies trying. One tried to rip me off by charging too much for the fare, and the driver who took me to the airport scolded me for keeping him waiting (I was on time) and proceeded to charge me 30% more than the hotel told me the fare should be. In a country filled with warm, gracious service, this was an unfortunate exception.