Reviews of Cabaña Tzanjuyu

Hard to find. Not able to check in. Had to find another place to stay in the middle of the night.

The garden area and outdoor shower were lovely to relax in. The beds and room were clean and tidy, with towel and soap/shampoo provided. Host was extremely attentive and available to us. Nice part of town if you like being nestled amongst the locals. Easy walking distance to local cooking classes and beautiful muralled streets. View of mountain is beautiful (if you are staying in the upper suite).

Finding it was a challenge as it is through a few back lanes, but a local kindly called him for us to direct us. Booking indicated we would have balcony and mountain view, but ended up having the garden level suite and another guest had the upstairs room with the view. However, we were allowed to enjoy the balcony when she had checked out. No fridge or cutlery/plates, though if needed our host kindly offered to make use of his own from his home (I just wish we didn't have to bother him to ask for things like this). There is a local gang of dogs that belong to a neighbor that fight quite loud and aggressively each night, but they never gave us any trouble when we were walking to or from the place. However, it was unsettling. Lastly, perhaps I missed this in the booking details, but the Temescal (Mayan sauna) is not only additional cost to the booking (150 Q per person per hour), but significantly more expensive than other local ones (we enjoyed one for 70 per person per hour that had its cold tub with a lake view in San Pedro). Overall, the place was nice and hosts lovely, but felt overpriced compared to our other stays.

I've visited over 20 countries and stayed at all kinds of lodging in dozens of cities. The hospitality of Javier and Maria has so far been unmatched. Their attentiveness and generosity towards guests is unparalleled in my experience. Because it only has two rooms with two beds each, we were able to be sole guests during our stay. Do not miss the Temescal experience led by Maria. The sunrise views are spectacular. Although, it's very tranquil, like any good traveler, bring earplugs as some town dogs might serenade you in the middle of the night, but nothing that should disrupt your sleep or tranquility. This is good advice for most towns in Lake Atitlan. Also, notify Javier Mendez of your estimated arrival as there's a three minute walk to the site and best if led by him. The rooms are quite of a good size, lots of room to move around. I highly recommend it. It's not the Hilton, but very charming and comfortable. I plan to come back next time I'm in Atitlan.

A little challenge finding the place upon arrival, but a call to Javier resolved it. Keep his phone handy. As there's no parking on-site, it's best if you arrive by tuk tuk and leave you car in a parking lot as it's hard to drive in very narrow town streets. Javier can provide parking lot info. It's a small and safe town. They are best known as Javier and Maria Mendez temazcal, which has been in operation for over eight years. The hotel/lodging is new, but no doubt it'll become a popular place.