La Lancha
- Style
- Stilted lakeside casitas
- Setting
- Guatemalan monkey jungle
With breath-stealing views of Lake Peten Itzá and an undisturbed rainforest setting, La Lancha is an idyllic back-to-nature escape, 45 minutes from the Mayan ruins of Tikal.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 10.
- Rates
- $110–$240, including Continental breakfast; excludes 22 per cent tax.
- Check-out
- Midday, although later check-out may be possible.
- Facilities
- Small library, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: iPod player, minibar, handmade organic toiletries.
- Poolside
- The smooth stone area around La Lancha’s curvy split-level pool is dotted with loungers and deck chairs and encircled by vibrant greenery.
- Children
- Overhanging branches and steep slopes mean the hotel isn’t ideal for younger children, although under-12s can stay free and extra beds ($50 a night) and babysitting services are available.
- Eco-friendly
- All Coppola’s resorts have impressive eco-credentials, including locally sourcing all food and building materials, recycling waste, and maintaining a low carbon footprint (thanks to the lack of TVs, air-conditioning and other carbon hungry mod cons.
- Also
- A two-night minimum stay is required over Christmas and Easter.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- La Lancha’s casitas come in two flavours. We like the front row of Lakeview Casitas, particularly neighbouring numbers 1 and 2 for their big decks, meditative hammocks, and the utterly wonderful vistas over the glassy lake. Numbers 4 and 6 also have partial lake views.
- Packing tips
- Nibbling insects emerge at night, so make sure you have trousers to keep your legs covered. Binoculars and a decent camera are essential for wildlife watching.
- Also
- La Lancha is prime twitching territory, as the rainforest is home to hundreds of exotic bird species, including toucans and falcons. Take a trek or a mountain bike along one of the resort’s jungle trails or hop on the small motorboat for a sunrise to
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- Guatemalteca Restaurant is a palm-thatched palapa overlooking the sea where guests gather to enjoy authentic local dishes of fresh fish and parilla-grilled meat. There’s also a wood-fired pizza oven and a comal for cooking tortillas.
- Dress code
- Relaxed jungle garb.
- Top table
- Sit close to nature on the edge of the palapa, or take a picnic down to the edge of the lake.
- Last orders
- The grill starts to cool at 9pm, but the bar keeps serving until the last guest leaves.
- Hotel bar
- Guests gather round the little bar in Guatemalteca to sip cocktails to a soundtrack of cicadas and howler monkeys.
Smith card offer A bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's own label wine
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Not a member? Join now
Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
