Hotel Review: Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan

After trekking 45 kilometers through the Guatemalan Highlands, Laura and I were ready for a little luxury around Lake Atitlan. Since we both prefer to stay in eco-friendly hotels and hostels, we opted to stay at the Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan in San Juan La Laguna. It was a bit more than we wanted to spend, but the two-night splurge was worth it, especially after sleeping two nights on the ground during our hike.

Hotel Review: Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan

The Location

Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan is located on KM 175 between the village of San Juan and San Pedro. If you’re carrying luggage then you will definitely want to hire a tuk-tuk as the walk is quite long from San Pedro where the water taxis depart and arrive. You can hire a private water taxi that will drop you off at the hotel’s private dock.

If you’re looking for a quiet and relaxing stay on Lake Atitlan then Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan is the perfect place. However, if you’re looking to party it up in San Pedro then you’ll want to stay in San Pedro.

The Hotel Facilities

The hotel was built using locally sourced materials making it a beautiful rustic retreat. Each room is large and has its own ensuite bathroom. Every room has a shared balcony overlooking the lake with plenty of hammocks for reading and napping.

The hotel’s on-site restaurant offers complimentary breakfast for guests including fresh squeezed juice, filtered drinking water, and organic Guatemalan coffee and tea. Dinner can also be served if you book ahead. There is a hot tub, but when Laura and I stayed there it was not working. And the wifi as well was not working during our stay.

The Rooms

The 12 rooms are large with locally made Guatemalan furniture. It was nicely decorated and clean. After sleeping on the floor for two nights, I found the queen-sized beds to be super comfortable. Each room is named after a native Lake Atitlan bird, which I thought was cute.

The bathroom was nice with an excellent hot water shower. It felt great washing the dirt and grime off of us after trekking 45 km.

My Experience

I had a great experience at the Eco Hotel Uxlabil Hotel. It is a beautiful and relaxing hotel in a quiet part of San Juan. Every morning we woke up to the songs of the native birds and stunning 180-degree views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

I slept incredibly well as the beds were comfortable and we had plenty of blankets to keep us warm as the temperatures dropped overnight. The breakfast was good and it was nice to have access to filtered drinking water for free.

However, as much as I loved the hotel, it did have a few downsides. The wifi didn’t work and the hot tub was empty. It was a bit far from town so Laura and I had to hire a tuk-tuk to take us to San Pedro for dinner. It’s a bit more expensive for most backpacker’s budgets, but it was a worthwhile splurge after the three-day trek.

Hotel Quick Facts

• Location: Km 175, San Juan La Laguna
• Cost: 420 Q ($57 USD)
• Nearby Attractions: San Pedro, San Juan, Lake Atitlan
• Languages Spoken: Spanish, English
• Payment: Cash (Quetzales & USD), Credit Cards (with 6% surcharge)
• Pros: Quiet, Clean, Comfortable beds, Good breakfast
• Cons: No wifi, Far from town, Expensive for backpackers