THE PACIFIC COAST - Guatemala - page 298

5205-1132, www.hostalcasasantamaria.com ), where eight tastefully decorated rooms in a
colonial homecomewithprivatehot-water bath,cableTV,wireless Internet,air-condition-
ing, and/or ceiling fan. Room rates are $25 for a double with fan or $35 d with fan and
air-conditioning. There is a nice breakfast room and a café/bar with Internet and book ex-
change. The young Guatemalan brother-and-sister team who own it also run Reuxtreme,
Retalhuleu's finest outfitter, which operates weekend shuttles to Guatemala City and An-
tigua, among other things.
Another fine place to lay your head is the friendly Posada de Don José (5a Calle
3-67 Zona 1, tel. [phone] or 7771-0841, [e-mail], $42-55 d), in an attract-
ive two-story building centered around a small swimming pool and courtyard. Standard
rooms are spotless and have good beds, cable TV, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, phone, and
private hot-water bath. The larger suites have a sitting area and some nice furniture. The
hotel's restaurant, managed by Don Josée's wife, serves some of the town's tastiest food.
TheMexicanconsulateisalsobasedhere.Nearby,atthecornerof5aAvenidaand5aCalle,
is the smaller Anexo Posada de Don José (tel. [phone]), run by the same owners, with
pleasant rooms for $25 d, breakfast included.
The well-furnished rooms in Hotel Astor (tel. [phone], $37 d), are set in a colonial
building and centered around a pretty garden courtyard and swimming pool. All rooms
haveair-conditioning,ceilingfan,andcableTVinadditiontoprivatehot-waterbath.There
is a restaurant in the lobby and a small sports bar. For budget accommodations, try Hotel
Modelo (3a Avenida “A” 5-14 Zona 1, tel. [phone]), where rooms with ceiling fan and
cable TV go for $15 d.
FOOD
A variety of decent restaurants are downtown. An excellent choice is the restaurant at
Posada de Don José (5a Calle 3-67 Zona 1, tel. [phone] or 7771-0841), serving in-
ternational cuisine with Guatemalan flair. Cafetería La Luna (5a Avenida 4-97 Zona 1,
all meals daily), just off the plaza's west corner, is a local favorite serving inexpensive
Guatemalan fare. For a drink and pub fare, stop by Lo de Chaz (5a Calle 4-83 Zona 1).
Reu's newest café is the Café Rústico (4a Calle 4-23 Zona 1 inside Hostal Casa Santa
María, tel. [phone]), serving good coffee and snacks along with Internet access.
Among the culinary options you'll find in Centro Comercial La Trinidad is Caffé Saúl
(tel. [phone], 10 A.M.-9 P.M. Mon.-Thurs., 10 A.M.-10 P.M. Fri.-Sun.). There's also
a Domino's Pizza and a Tacos 3XQ10. A large air-conditioned supermarket, La Torre,
rounds out the list of options.
SERVICES