Jungle Lodge Tikal Hostal

Perfect site for visiting Tikal and enjoying the jungle. Perfect for two nights. Food was lovely and we enjoyed relaxing in the lobby during the heat of the afternoon. Room was surprisingly modern given the remote location. Felt safe and peaceful. Just note that the monkeys are LOUD and can keep you up at night.

Looks like a nice place judging by the pictures, but didn’t live up to it, at all. Rude employees, our son had flea bites all over his body after spending one night in a “suite”. They seem to want to bleed you dry, anything you ask for, like exchanging bread for tortilla, cost you extra. They would do well with a bit of competition. I do NOT recommend spending your dollars on this place.

It was a very bad experience. The rooms are small and dark without glass on the window so really noisy. The shared toilets always missed toilet paper. The restaurant offers a wide choice, but at least 1/3 of them were unavailable. Everything was overpriced and the food wasn’t as tasty as in the rest of the country. The reception informed us about the screening of a documentary on Tikal site in the cinema room but it didn’t work. The only good thing was our visit to Tikal thanks to our guide José.

Booked eight months ahead then, a week prior, was told my room was ‘unavailable’ and no alternative possible inside the archaeological park. Fortunately I was able to secure another hotel in the park, but had this not been possible, it would have prevented me visiting during the quiet, cool sunset and sunrise periods, instead commuting an hour or more back and forwards to the nearest town.

The lodge is gorgeous! Lush jungle grounds, a big open air restaurant, a movie theater with vintage, yellow theater seating, and the rooms are lovely and clean, with comfy beds, a beautiful bathroom & a fan & mosquito net over each bed. The pool was a godsend in the extreme heat! It was also a dream to be a 5 min walk from the park for the sunrise tour. Yes, there are limited hours for electricity, but you’re in the middle of the jungle — you can’t expect things to be the same as a city hotel. While the front desk staff are extremely nice and helpful, we found all of the restaurant staff to be cranky & the box lunch I ordered & paid for the night before our sunrise tour was not there for me to pick up at 4 in the morning, as promised. I got a refund the next day & luckily packed a bunch of snacks to bring in case this happened. I advise you do the same! Yes, the food in the restaurant is catering to American/western palates, but I found this to be the case in Antigua and Lake Atitlan as well. But it tasted good. Would highly recommend the Jungle Lodge despite its few flaws. Remember: you are in a jungle in Guatemala, not NYC!

On the plus side the location is absolutely great for enjoying Tikal as you can easily walk into the site as well as the two small museums close by. Set in quite attractive grounds, we had a junior suite which was quite spacious and comfortable and the daily housekeeping was good. What spoilt the experience was how dour and unwelcoming the staff were. We travelled as a couple and guessed that perhaps priority was given to the groups. While the cocktails in the bar were good, the food and service in the restaurant were very poor but we had no choice but to eat there in the evenings.