My flight out of Guatemala City was supposed to leave at 7 AM, so instead of leaving Antigua Guatemala at 3 AM, I opted to spend my last night in Guatemala in the city. Guatemala City can be slightly dangerous so I needed to pick a safe zone and somewhere near the airport. Zone 10 is known to be good and is close to the airport. I found a great deal on the Real Intercontinental, which is right in Zone 10.

I am slightly biased as I love an Intercontinental hotel. Of course, you never know. The Real Intercontinental Guatemala City did not disappoint. The lobby is huge and grand. There was no waiting to get checked in and even though I was two hours early for check-in, I was able to check-in and get to my room.

The Room

My room was located at the end of the hallway, which I appreciate as it meant I was not near the elevators. Sometimes elevators are loud, but mostly I prefer not to be near them as people getting off of them tend to be loud. Although, I would say this hotel was extremely quiet. I only heard one door open the entire time I was there.

Since I had gotten a deal, I was not expecting anything large. The room was small but very well laid out with a large floor to ceiling window. And no one should complain about this bed. Not only was it huge, but it was also very comfortable. Usually, I don’t sleep well when I know I have to be up early to catch a flight but I fell right asleep and didn’t wake up until my alarm went off.

After not having watched live tv for a month, I really appreciated the large television with international news in English. They were about the only channels in English though. There was a large desk that made me wish I had stayed another night so I could work at it. Even though the room was small there was a comfy chair to sit in for reading with an overhead light.

The bathroom was also small but had all the things you could want or not want, including a scale. I had desperately wanted to take a bath but the tub didn’t look super clean so didn’t take a bath. I am not sure if it was dirty or just old but decided not to take my chances. This was not a huge deal to me since I could still take a shower and I was only there one night.

The Amenities

The Real Intercontinental has a rooftop pool and I wanted to use it but it started to rain when I went up there. However, it looked great! There is a kiddie pool and a hot tub as well. On a clear day, you could probably see very far. There were plenty of lounge chairs to sunbathe in.

Also on the rooftop area is the fitness center. I didn’t use it but it looked amazing. It was glass enclosed so you can see the pool and the view. The fitness center had free weights and plenty of cardio machines. Best of all it was open 24 hours a day, so you can exercise when you want.

There is also a Spa onsite, which I didn’t get to use. You can also have some services in your room, which is always a nice option.

The Food

There were several dining options in the Real Intercontinental. I was only able to experience dinner though. My choice was to eat at The Market. You could customize each dish, which is why I choose it. My choice was carbonara with artichoke hearts, which was pretty good considering I was in Guatemala. The wine selection was decent and the wine was good. The service was great but I was there early in the evening and it wasn’t busy so I am not sure what it is like when it is busy. The Market is where they serve breakfast but I chose to wait till the airport since the price for breakfast was about $20.

If I have to spend the night in Guatemala City again, I would definitely choose the Real Intercontinental again if the price was right. I felt safe and the room was comfortable. My only advice would be to go across the street to the convenience store for bottled water so you don’t pay $2.50 for a bottle of water.

Book at the Real Intercontinental at Booking.com.