For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
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 tour.
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).
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Smith concierge
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Local restaurants
La Lancha's remote rainforest location means that, unless you take an excursion to Flores (La Luna on Calle 30 de Junio comes recommended for its tasty local dishes) or the coastal village of El Remate, most of your dining will be done in the resort's accomplished Guatemalteca restaurant.
Worth getting out of bed for
After the ruins of Tikal, wildlife watching is the big draw here. La Lancha's guided bird-spotting tour at sunset is eye-opening – the forest is essentially a giant exotic aviary. You can also trek, horse ride, or mountain bike the jungle trails, and, should your Spanish need polishing, La Lancha can arrange language lessons in San Andres village.
