This is my personal review of the luxury boutique hotel Villa Bokeh in Antigua Guatemala. I was a guest of the hotel for two nights – accommodation and breakfast were included but lunch and dinner were not. All opinions are my own and I do not accept payment or freebies in exchange for positive coverage. All prices are correct at time of writing.
I’m sitting on a crisp cream garden sofa under a veranda draped with hanging vines. A gentle breeze carries the scent of lilies across from the tranquil gardens. A speaker is playing soft piano music – a lounge version of A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman, and then a Chopin sonata, but it’s almost drowned out by the chorus of birdsong – the chattering, chirping and trilling of doves, thrushes and warblers.
Directly ahead of me a flowerbed overflowing with purple agapanthus leads down to a mirror-calm lake, crossed by an ornamental bridge. On the water, a father and two girls are playing in a small blue rowing boat. Beyond, immaculate lawns are flanked by palm trees and a bamboo grove, and peeking out from behind them I can just spot a turquoise swimming pool and a romantic summer house. And crowning the scene, the hazy slopes of the magnificent Volcan de Agua, one of the three volcanos that tower over the city of Antigua Guatemala.
This is Villa Bokeh, a brand-new luxury hotel located on the outskirts of the charming colonial city of Antigua in Guatemala, where I’m lucky enough to be a guest for two nights.
I’ve spent a month photographing and backpacking alone around Guatemala. I’ve marvelled at Maya ruins, swum in the clear waters of lakes and rivers, hiked up volcanoes, and sweated it out in the jungle. To save money and meet fellow travellers, I’ve mostly been staying in hostels.
But yesterday that changed. I checked out of my noisy budget accommodation in Antigua city centre and was whisked away to this sophisticated oasis of calm. Stepping out of the taxi into an elegant reception area paved with sparkling terracotta tiles and decorated with sculptures and works of art I felt just as grubby in my backpacker clothes as I probably looked. But the impeccable staff at Villa Bokeh were far too polite to comment.
Introducing Villa Bokéh Guatemala
Villa Bokéh is a secluded colonial-style hacienda set in 6 acres of private landscaped gardens, just outside the UNESCO historic city of Antigua Guatemala. Once a private artist’s estate, this beautiful house has been immaculately renovated by international designers Paliare Studio architects and hospitality group Grupo Alta, led by Claudia Bosch. It’s part of the Relais & Chateaux luxury hotel group.
Each of the 15 rooms has been individually decorated with a combination of modern design and traditional Guatemalan touches, dressed with art pieces from local Guatemalan artists.
The hotel also offers a pool and spa, and a restaurant serving a fusion of Guatemalan traditional dishes and nouvelle cuisine made with ingredients from the hotel’s own garden, under the direction of Guatemalan executive chef Marcos Sáenz.
The restoration project took several years and due to unfortunate timing, Villa Bokeh was ready to open just as the pandemic hit. That plan obviously had to be put on hold, but now, with tourism recovering again in Guatemala, this beautiful hotel is finally welcoming its first guests.
Some improvements are still ongoing – at the time I visited, the gym and spa were not yet ready, and there are plans to renovate additional spaces in the building to create more rooms and common areas, but the beautiful bedrooms, pool, restaurant and gardens are all up and running and ready to be enjoyed.
There’s also a shady lawn for outdoor weddings, and an open-sided reception area which is used at weekends for serving brunch, as well as for wedding receptions. Weddings are big business here, and when you see how gorgeous this place is, you can understand why. I’d get married here myself if I could, I just need to find a rich Guatemalan husband!
If you’re thinking of booking and just wanted a second opinion, there’s no need to read on. Villa Bokéh is beautiful and you shouldn’t hesitate. If that’s all you need to know, just click this button to book now!
Where is Villa Bokéh?
Villa Bokeh is just a ten-minute drive from the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Antigua, and only on hour away from the international airport in Guatemala City.
This means that it’s away from the noise and bustle of the city, secluded enough to feel like an oasis of calm, and yet with all the attractions Antigua has to offer just a short taxi ride away.
Read more: 28 Tried And Tested Things To Do In Antigua Guatemala
The rooms at Villa Bokéh Antigua
Villa Bokeh has 15 spacious rooms, all individually decorated and themed around a different colour.
Mine was the Rose room – a huge, gorgeous space decorated in calming shades of pastel pink, with an enormous cream wooden bedstead, two deep armchairs, and a separate dressing room with wardrobe and mini bar.
The rose room has dual aspect patio doors – on one side leading onto a small terrace shared with the next-door room, and on the other leading to a covered walkway with views over the gardens and lake.
All the fixtures and fittings are unique, reclaimed, recycled and restored. That means that some of them are a little distressed – the ornate mirror frame in my bathroom, for example, had several chunks of woodwork missing – but that just adds to the historic charm and is entirely in keeping with the feel of the property.
In the bathroom is an enormous white ceramic basin and a huge walk-in shower which was hot, powerful, and very welcome for washing off the heat and dirt of my journey.
Rather than supplying wasteful little plastic bottles, the hotel has opted to offer large refillable dispensers of a delicious shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and hand wash which have been exclusively designed for Villa Bokeh. Of course, that means you can’t take them away, but they’re available to buy if you particularly fall in love with the scent.
I was given a tour of a couple of other rooms and was just as blown away with those – especially the Indigo room which has a mezzanine seating area and private balcony with views directly out to Volcan de Agua.
Amenities at Villa Bokeh boutique hotel
Although this is a historic house the rooms have plenty of modern amenities including switches to dim and control each individual light, a fridge, kettle and coffee pot for making tea and coffee, a safe, slippers, fluffy bathrobe, filtered drinking water and that all-important plug socket by the bed complete with USB points for your phone or tablet.
There was even a hairdryer supplied with a diffuser for curly hair, which is only the second time EVER I have found one in a hotel.
Note that there is no TV – but the place is so beautiful that I can’t imagine wanting to sit in front of a screen, and in fact it took me more than 24 hours to notice that there wasn’t one! And there’s no air conditioning, but with Antigua’s year-round temperate climate you shouldn’t need it.
Shared spaces at Villa Bokeh Guatemala
Most of the house is taken up with the bedrooms, so there aren’t as many communal rooms as I’ve found in other hotels. There’s a small indoor dining room where breakfast was served, and a gorgeous sitting room with sofas, a bookcase full of books to choose from, and shelves full of quirky art, artefacts and framed antique Guatemalan textiles, but indoor seating is quite limited.
But then when the climate is as mild as it is in Antigua, you don’t need many indoor rooms. The main communal area is actually outside: a terrace with a covered lounge area and tables and chairs overlooking the gardens. I found my favourite spot on one of the sofas under the portico and stayed there the entire day – even in the evening when the heavens opened it was a beautiful place to sit and listen to the rain coming down, and all I needed was a light cardigan to keep the slight chill off.
The gardens at Villa Bokéh luxury hotel
For me one of the highlights of my stay at Villa Bokeh were the beautiful gardens. The hotel boasts nearly 6 acres of immaculately manicured lawns and flowerbeds with a man-made lake at the centre. The gardens are bursting with gorgeous fragrant flowers including agapanthus, bird of paradise flowers, white and yellow lilies, vibrant purple waterlilies and masses more gloriously vivid blooms that I didn’t recognise.
As you walk around you’ll also discover the swimming pool area, a summer house, a swing, and a couple of shady little resting spots where you can organise a picnic or simply sit on the grass with a book.
The Villa Bokeh restaurant
The hotel website states that the restaurant menu “captures a uniquely gourmet fusion of Guatemalan traditional dishes and nouvelle cuisine… inspired by native Guatemalan ingredients that grow in our very own garden, creating seasonal menus that bloom on the plate and delight any palate.”
Not being entirely up to speed on which native Guatemalan ingredients they have in their garden I can’t comment on the veracity of this statement, but I can say that during my two-night stay at Villa Bokeh I ate two breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner, and all of them were delicious.
My room included a free continental breakfast of fruit, muffins, croissants, and toast with home-made fruit compote, plus tea or coffee. You can also order cooked breakfast from the menu, but since that wasn’t included, I opted to stick with the continental breakfast.
For lunch I had what was probably the best club sandwich I’ve ever tasted, with crispy smoky bacon, juicy chicken, thick slices of avocado and fresh salad, while for dinner on my first night it was pouring with rain, so I ordered the warming black bean soup and a side order of hummus and corn tortilla chips.
Other options that sounded tempting included beef tenderloin with potato pave and herb roasted tomatoes for Q200 (£20/$26), grilled sea bass with corn mousse, and fennel and zucchini salad for Q190 (£19/$25, and tortellini stuffed with three types of cheese and served with parmesan and butternut squash fondue for Q125 (£12.50 / $16).
You don’t have to be a guest to eat at Villa Bokeh, but with so many good restaurants on offer in central Antigua you probably wouldn’t venture out here just for dinner. However at weekends they serve brunch, which would be a great option for a relaxed day out: come for brunch and then enjoy the glorious surroundings for a few hours before heading back to the city.
Read more: The Complete Guide To Xela Guatemala: Things To See And Do
Attention to detail at Villa Bokeh Antigua
When I’m not backpacking, I’ve been lucky enough to stay in quite a few beautiful hotels, but what really sets Villa Bokeh apart from other places I’ve been is the thoughtful attention to detail and the focus on local customs and products.
On my first night while I was at dinner someone came into my room, turned down the bed, set the lighting to a gentle level and left some local honey sweets on my pillow.
On the second night the evening gift was a set of adorable little handmade worry dolls – according to the note it’s a Guatemalan tradition to tell your worries to the dolls before putting them under your pillow and the dolls will take your cares away.
And in the afternoon, I was offered this spectacular tea platter where every item was made with corn, a Guatemalan staple. From savoury corn tortillas with tomato chutney to sweet corn cheesecake, each one was a little piece of traditional Guatemala on a plate.
Read more: Visiting San Andres Xecul, Guatemala: Home Of The Famous Yellow Church
Things to do at Villa Bokéh Antigua
In a calming oasis like this the main thing to do is simply relax. Find a shady spot and chill out with a book, stroll in the gorgeous gardens, take a dip in the pool, take a rowing boat out on the lake, play one of the board games on offer, or check out the spa.
But if, like me, you soon get bored and need more stimulation, the team at Villa Bokéh can organise a range of tours and activities to keep you entertained. My room contained a menu of them, from a romantic picnic on the lawns or a private dinner with a pianist (these are probably more aimed at couples who come here to get engaged or married than for solo travellers like me!), to yoga classes, tours of the art in the hotel or the flora and fauna in the gardens.
Or, if you want to explore further afield, you can do tours of Antigua, visit local villages, take a 4WD off-road drive into the Guatemalan landscape, visit a local craft brewery, or learn about local natural fabric dying techniques at a fabric dying workshop.
Read more: Yaxha Guatemala: The Magical Mayan Ruins You Need To Visit
Who is Villa Bokéh for?
Most people who visit Antigua prefer to stay in the town centre. There’s a huge selection of hostels and hotels at all levels of luxury and to suit all budgets, so if you’re keen to be in the heart of the action with a packed Guatemala itinerary of tours and adventures, Villa Bokeh probably isn’t the place for you.
If, however, you’re looking for an oasis of secluded luxury, a place to relax but with activities just a short hop away if you decide you want to pick up the pace a bit, then Villa Bokéh has everything you need.
It’s definitely a place for a romantic break and there were a few couples here when I stayed, but you don’t have to come with your partner. Solo travellers or friends might enjoy Villa Bokéh as a chance for some self-indulgence, and families with kids are welcome too – there’s even a playroom to entertain them.
How much does Villa Bokeh cost?
At the time of writing, rooms at Villa Bokeh started at US$226 / £182 a night. Which when you consider the levels of service and quality here is an absolute bargain. A hotel like this in Europe could easily cost you two or three times more, so if you’re looking for sophisticated luxury at bargain prices, this could be the place to come.
When is the best time to visit Villa Bokeh in Guatemala?
Guatemala has two seasons – dry, between November and April, and wet, between May and October. If you’re after bright sunshine and blue skies, it’s best to try and visit in the dry season, but even in the rainy season it doesn’t rain all the time, so there’s no need to worry. I visited in mid-May and it was sunny in the mornings, a little overcast in the afternoons, and rained in the evenings.
It wasn’t cold though, and I love the sound of the rain. Sitting on the patio after dark with a glass of wine listening to it was probably the most relaxed I’ve been in my whole time in Guatemala.
Read more: Backpacking in Guatemala: All You Need To Know Before You Go
Top five things I loved about my stay at Villa Bokéh, Antigua Guatemala
- Starfishing across the enormous comfy bed and browsing the pillow menu.
- Sitting on the terrace with a glass of chilled white wine listening to the sound of the rain.
- Wandering the beautiful and fragrant gardens.
- My welcome drink and traditional Guatemalan gifts.
- Breakfast on the terrace with views of the gardens and birds chirping.
Five things to do around Antigua Guatemala
If you do find yourself itching to get out and explore, here are some of my favourite things I did around Antigua Guatemala.
1. Climb Acatenango volcano. Hike up and spend a night camping on one of Guatemala’s most famous volcanos for the chance to witness its neighbour, Volcan de Fuego, erupting.
Read more: The Thrilling Volcan De Acatenango Hike In Antigua Guatemala
2. Take a walking tour of Antigua – or just explore by yourself. There are several good tours available, or you can simply download a map and take your time.
3. Watch sunset from the Cerro de La Cruz. This viewpoint is a fairly easy uphill walk from Antigua town centre and offers beautiful views of the area.
4. Go shopping for handicrafts. There are loads of beautiful handmade crafts on offer in Antigua, from gorgeous woven fabrics to carved wooden masks, jewellery, ceramics and more. Fill your suitcase and delight your friends and family when you get home.
5. Visit the Jade Museum. Jade was the Ancient Maya’s most precious possession, and you can learn all about it (and buy fabulous genuine jade jewellery) at Jade Maya museum and shop.
Read more: 28 Tried And Tested Things To Do In Antigua Guatemala
Book Villa Bokeh now!
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