Posada Belen Museo Inn is located in Zone 1, the Historic District, of Guatemala City and has become an unofficial museum for guests. Find out what makes this hotel special.
Contents
Posada Belen Museo Inn Owners
We here at DIY Travel HQ believe that it is possible to tell what the owners of a company are like 99% of the time based on how their business is run and employees behave.
Even if the description is never verbalized, you can see their priorities.
For Posada Belen Museo Inn, Francesca and family love Guatemala and want to share the rich culture with each and every guest.
We recommend Booking.com for the best rates & selection of accommodation in Guatemala City, including Posada Belen Museo Inn. Make a booking with our link for 10% off your stay.
Their house is filled with over 300 authentic Maya artifacts among antique furniture, local artwork, and woven bedspreads.
Every piece of décor is hand-selected and represents a memory for the Sanchinelli family.
You get to enjoy these items upon your visit, and what inspired the hotel’s name.
Posada Belen Museo Inn History
Posada Belen Museo Inn is a colonial home built in 1873, and converted into a hotel in 1972 by Francesca’s mother.
She later took over the operation 7 years later.
Luckily, many of the room conversions were completed prior to tight regulations that were implemented for the Historic District.
Now, local property owners need to jump through hoops in order to make the simplest of changes.
Posada Belen Museo Inn Location
Posada Belen Museo Inn is located in Zone 1, also known as the Historic District, of Guatemala City.
This is the best location for sightseeing in the capital.
The main drag is 6th Avenue, and includes the National Palace at the north end and Civic Center to the south.
The entire stretch is pedestrian only with plenty of food and shopping options.
You can find Posada Belen Museo Inn on 13a Calle A between 10a Avenida and 11a Avenida.
Due to the Historic District regulations, the signage is very small but any taxi should be able to bring you there given the cross streets and zone number.
Alternatively, you can arrange a pick-up from the airport by contacting Francesca in advance.
Posada Belen Museo Inn is very secure as staff need to let you in and out.
They are never long to arrive to the door.
The hotel’s street is also very quiet since it is two blocks long, and only local cars pass by.
Posada Belen Museo Inn Rooms
There are 10 rooms available in Posada Belen Museo Inn that border the common areas.
The configurations vary, but each room has comfortable mattress(es), wardrobe, and desk.
The desk contains a TV with a few English channels, fan, water jug with glasses, and electric mosquito racket.
Despite being boxed in by other buildings, natural light comes in via skylights and through the uncovered sections in the common areas.
Bedspreads are woven similar to traditional Guatemalan clothing with different wall décor in each room.
The themes focus on different colors and textured paint, or even tiles!
All the lampshades are also made from a colorful, woven fabric.
A lot of thought and energy went into making each room an example of Guatemala culture.
Customary for hotels, the rooms are serviced each day.
The bed is made, garbage emptied, floor swept, and water jug refilled.
Towels and bathmat were also switched daily by default, but can be left upon request for a more environmentally friendly impact.
The bathrooms vary by room with some larger than others.
We stayed in room 10 at the rear of Posada Belen Museo Inn, and felt it was more than ample.
One of the interesting and recent green renovations was the installation of a solar-heated water tank.
Posada Belen Museo Inn was half-full when we visited, but there was always ample hot water.
The secret recipe to the perfect shower was turning the hot valve on 80%, and cold valve 20%
. The main tap in the center now only provides cold water.
You can thank the government for external tubing since they don’t want the original walls to be damaged during construction.
Each bathroom comes with hand and body towels, floor mat, soap, and a virtually endless supply of toilet paper in a commercial dispenser.
Just remember that toilet paper in Guatemala needs to be placed in the bin, and not flushed
. You will also need to bring your own shampoo and conditioner as well.
Room 10 is also known as ‘Patch Adam’s room’ since he frequently visits during clowning workshops.
There is a lot of history for this family run business…just ask Francesca for some interesting stories.
However, the best rooms for Wi-Fi are towards the center, or you can enjoy it in the common areas.
Posada Belen Museo Inn Common Areas
All the rooms border the common areas.
There are a few tables with chairs to relax at along the corridor, but the main areas are the kitchen, dining room, and garden.
Swap a book at the exchange and relax on the hammock while the resident turtles swim nearby.
Make sure you have your mosquito racket handy as they are more frequent in the common areas assuming you keep your window closed.
Alternatively, grab a meal in the dining room.
Dinners cost $13, and breakfast can be added as a B&B option.
Drinks and other items are also available for purchase.
There is also a fridge you may use to keep things cold.
We had a very tasty breakfast, and assume dinner would be just as delicious.
Onward Travel
Francesca can not only arrange the next stop of your journey, but can arrange door-to-door service for your entire stay in Guatemala as a registered travel agent.
She can also help you plan a complete Guatemala travel itinerary.
Know Before You Go
- Location: Zone 1 in Guatemala City, 13a Calle A between 10a Avenida and 11a Avenida
- Price: $43/48 for one person, $55/67 for two people (room/B&B)
- Additional Services: Travel arrangements and meals
- Contact Information: Posada Belen Museo Inn; [email protected]
***The Final Word – If you are looking for a safe, clean, quiet, and friendly hotel in Guatemala’s Historic District, then Posada Belen Museo Inn is a great choice.***
What is your main reason for visiting Guatemala City?
* Thank you to Posada Belen Museo Inn for hosting us!
* This post contains affiliate links, which means that we receive a small commission if you click on a link & purchase something that we have recommended – at no extra cost to you. This helps us to keep our site running so we can continue to provide free content. Thank you for your support!
Visited in October 2016
Comments
Wow….what a gem! I would like to know what the surrounding area is like. Is it safe? are there activities for a family with young kids? thanks for the insight. =)
Yes, it’s as safe as Guatemala City can be, though I didn’t go out at night. I’d recommend the zoo & there’s a train museum that’s really fun & interesting too 🙂
A very cool boutique hotel – thanks for the review! The place looks lovely, clean, and appears to have great access to tourist hotspots (without being too noisy). I’ll have to consider this place whenever I make it to Guatemala City!
A lot of the attractions are nearby Posada Belen Museo Inn, and Francesca can help you organize transportation to get to anything not within walking distance. I don’t think you can find another hotel with the same decor.
You’ve done such a fantastic job bringing this adorable hotel to life for me. We were looking into Guatemala City and now I’m completely sold on where we will stay! All those antiques–I love it!
Posada Belen Museo Inn is a great place to stay. Francesca, the owner, is sooooo helpful. She can answer just about any question you have if no time flat.
Wow – looks to be quite the historical place to stay. Lots of fun treasures and the food also looks good. It’s also good to know there’s a fridge in the room, that always helps out while traveling.
The breakfast was very tasty, and allows you to have a slow start instead of having to venture outside to quench your hunger in the morning. The fridge is actually in the kitchen, but close enough for anyone to use. It was fun taking some down time and exploring all the knick-knacks hidden around the property.
This looks so “homey” and comfortable. I’ve only flown into Guatemala City on my way to the countryside for a mission trip. I loved all the colored building and friendliness of the people.
So many tourists do the same thing. When we were in Antigua, all the travel agents listed Guatemala Airport, and not Guatemala City as an option. I’m sure they could drop you off there, but it is like the capital doesn’t even exist. If you are limited on time I suppose you can skip the city, but there is a full day of activities and museums to explore.
Very cool. Love historical hotels. I would definitely want to stay here.
Very few hotels really have a personal style anymore. Everything is geared towards neutral, or the same common themes depending on accommodation price range. We are glad we got the chance to stay in Posada Belen Museo Inn.
How gorgeous! So much character and also history – had no idea about the Patch Adams room! Is Guatemala a safe place to visit?
We didn’t know we got his room until we spoke with the owner. I’m sure there are many hidden facts about hotels around the world if you get to talk with the staff.
In regards to Guatemala safety…Guatemala City has a high crime rate. That being said, we felt safe as there are a lot of police around the touristy areas. Limit your sightseeing to day time, don’t display expensive items, and you should be fine. Just don’t take the red buses!
The rest of Guatemala is ‘safe’, but remote hikes can be risky due to theft. Again, limit your possessions and ask locals before venturing out into the wild. Hopefully this helps.
What a fabulous hotel, love the decor
Posada Belen Museo Inn does have a unique theme, in a country with a rich culture.
How lovely it is. Simply love the colors and the furnitures. Everything looks like it has a story to tell.