A Special Week in Antigua, Guatemala

Best Things Nearby:
The historic area (which is the whole town of Antigua), Lake Atitlan, the Filadelfia coffee plantation, and the tours of the area.

Best Things About the Resort:
Villa Antigua is a great timeshare. One should get the unit with the partial kitchen -- it is a nice bedroom with a king-size bed, kitchen, and living area. The other units are multiples of hotel rooms, which do not have facilities but do sleep a number of people. The grounds are very nice. Prices for meals at this timeshare and in the town are very good, about one-half of the comparable meals in the United States.

Resort Experience:
This is a very pleasant Central American experience. One should not expect the same as other countries, but the ambience of Central America is done very well at Villa Antigua.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
There is so much to see and do in the area as well as day and overnight tours.

Best Things About the Resort:
We felt like we were in a colonial house with our rooms overlooking the central fountain for the timeshare area.

Resort Experience:
There are two distinct wings, the timeshare wing and the hotel wing. In the timeshare wing all units are one-bedroom with a living room and a small kitchen. In the hotel wing the units are one, two, or three-bedroom without a kitchen. The rooms are nice, but they are just rooms--although they will sleep a number of people.

I can hardly find a criticism, but it would be better if they did not carpet in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The carpets inevitably look a bit shabby and tile floors would be great. The carpets look like what one finds in a US Radisson hotel.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

This restaurant was highly recommended by our guide. The tables are facing the courtyard, which at night is lowly lit and candles. There are beautiful plantings. Tortillas are handmade by the women in the corner of the courtyard and are brought fresh to the table. The food is excellent, a combination of Guatemalan and continental. The local beer is a good choice with the food. Service was very attentive.

In addition to this area, there are other dining areas including a large room with a live marimba band and six people playing it. This was a thoroughly charming experience, and the food was a real bargain. They have an excellent dessert tray also.

We travel a lot and really enjoy our timeshares. Like many people we go to Mexico and the Caribbean and are always looking for the beach. The Central American mountains in Guatemala were a really different and fun experience. There is a lot to this area not found on the beaches. We highly recommend it.