Hotel Isla Verde

I want am Ecological Experience and I got It!!

This property is beautiful but be prepared to climb a lot of stairs. My room was #6 and it takes about 10 minutes of climbing. Also, the property has no backup generator. There was no power during my 1st and 6th day. The showers were great though even if they are just solar powered. I stayed during the rainy season and the water still gets very hot. The dining options are limited so be prepared for that. The views from Santa Cruz are beautiful though that's why I prefer to stay in this town.

Well this a really eco friendly hotel... The view was great but there were 239 steps to our room, no wifi during our whole stay and one night without power. The hotel is actually better that the photos and food is quite nice. I wouldnt stay here again but it is a good option if this is your type of hotel.

We enjoyed our stay during our trip to lake atitlan. You need to take a short boat ride to arrive at hotel. Stairs to get to the room are a bit of work but not a deal breaker. Good restaurant that looks out over the water and was very accommodating to my gluten free diet. Hot tub was nice but didn’t get super hot. Rooms were basic but a fine place to sleep and outdoor bathroom gave a great view of the lake albeit it is open air.

The lady in reception was so arrogant and disrespectful that it was offensive. After communicating we had no hot water in the shower, she said they’ll fix it but they did not. And when we asked about it again, her response was that they’re an “eco lodge “ and even she herself take cold showers!! It was a rip off, súper expensive and did not really worth what we paid. We certainly Did not feel welcome, won’t recommend or be back to that place ever again.

We had a fantastic stay for 3 nights. A lovely welcome by all the staff. Great food. We'd love to return

What a magical place, a little cabin nestled on the hillside overlooking beautiful Lake Atitlan. From my bed I could see Volcano Fuego erupting far away. Be forewarned, it really is up a LOT of stairs, and the water is solar heated so on a cloudy day it’s a bit chilly. Staff incredible. Good delicious. Magic.

The staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They go above and beyond to make you feel at home. The food is so good and the drinks don’t disappoint either. The huts are charming, comfortable, and perfect for a quiet retreat. I love that they have a small gift shop. The pizza night we had was beyond my dreams! Thank you for a wonderful stay Sofia and Riley!!!

If you know what you're getting into and you decide it's what you want, it can be a good experience. If not, it will be a bad experience. And it's hard to know what you're getting into because the website doesn't contain a lot of information, and, as others have said, if you email the staff ahead of time, they won't tell you much. Here's my attempt to tell you what you need to know, both pro and con. Pros: - It's in a beautiful location and has great views. - The staff is very friendly and welcoming and tries to be as accommodating as they can, including with dietary restrictions and any other request the guests have. - They make three fresh meals a day and have some snacks and drinks available, and everything seems to be well-made and tasty. - The rooms are clean and the beds were pretty decent. - They offer yoga, massages, etc. (for a price), which can be relaxing. Cons - It's pretty isolated. You have to take a boat to get most places (i.e., other towns on the lake that you may need to get to or may want to visit for fun), or you can walk 15 minutes down a janky path to the nearest bar/restaurant and from there also take a tuk-tuk up a hill to a mini-town. (And because it's so isolated, you can't buy your own bottled water, food, snacks, toiletries, etc. easily because nothing is really nearby.) If you like to have convenience/accessibility, this is not the place for you. - It's very easy to get sick. They bring in filtered water everyday (in giant water cooler bottles delivered by boat) and they both serve that in the common areas and provide that to everyone for their own use. And they seem to keep things clean in their kitchen and bar (as noted, they cook all day, every day). But in a country where the tap water is not potable, water and food-borne illness is prevalent. Several people in our group had some diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, etc. -- even those who were being very careful, i.e., brushing teeth only with filtered water, only eating cooked food (rather than salads), etc. So if you don't have a strong stomach and a strong constitution, I would not recommend going. - The whole eco lodge (and note that it is an eco lodge, not a hotel or resort, by any stretch) is built into a hillside, and you have to climb lots of uneven stone steps (many without hand railings) to get to your room. We were only halfway up the hill, and we had to climb 60+ steps to get to our room; people at the top of the hill had to climb way more. (We didn't have to carry our luggage up and down though, as the staff does that for you.) Also, there is not enough lighting on the steps, especially at night, so we often used our cell phone flashlights to try to see where we were going. And keep in mind that you're at elevation, so if you normally live closer to sea level, you'll feel less in shape up there. If you're not physically fit and prepared to do lots of stairs, this is not the place for you. - There's no true indoor area and there are a lot of bugs. One pe