Panza Verde: the hottest fashion boutique hotel in Antigua, Guatemala

entrance

cupolas everywhere

sitting areas for reading or talking with friends

stairwells reminiscent of colonial history

colonial architecture

amazing lighting

courtyard overlooking the restaurant

exquisite lighting

candle lit ambiance everywhere

in the valley of volcanos

candle lit bathrooms

colored decor

lap pool

cupola

in photo: Lindsey Calla

If Lara Stone is the hottest model out there right now, then Panza Verde is the hottest boutique hotel in Antigua Guatemala. Both have unique features, which allow them to stand out from the rest of the commercial crowd. Recently I had the pleasure of partaking of the Panza Verde experience and below recollect some of my thoughts.

No two rooms are the same

Of the 12 rooms in Panza Verde, no two are exactly alike. On a walk through, one room has a custom hammock with it's own private courtyard, another has floor to ceiling colonial window tiles, bedspreads differ in texture and print. Fireplaces are customized, bathtubs range from typical rectangular fashion to unique ovalesque rotunds. Even the key chains are distinct: my suite came with a traditional mini sandal attached to the keys. They say the value of a models beauty lies not in her standard looks, but in what makes her unique and distinct. Like Natasha Poly's instantly recognizable face, Panza Verde's unique attributes make it stand out amidst a sea of commercially available options.

Unique and safe

The staff and service is equally unique. An archeologist works the front desk, an elderly and warm, traditional native Indian serves the continental buffet in the morning. The original chef immigrated from Europe. Everyone here has a story that is unique. The entire estate is locked up at night too, like a medieval fortress to keep safe.

4 star restaurant on estate

That's only the beginning. As Celine may be the current taste maker for clothes and the recent Camel colored frenzy, Panza Verde's restaurant is the tastemaker for food in Antigua. It brings back the basics like Asparagus Milanesa, Carpaccio Pensativo, Steak Dijonaise but reinvigorates them with modern twists, that lure the impulse eater from the heart. Not to mention, the restaurant won the 2008 Tenedor de Oro for best restaurant in Guatemala.

casting for your hotel

While a modern BMW or Mercedes may lurk on the street outside the gates of Panza Verde, it's inside is a like fantasy journey back to colonial times. Everything is unique, the service superb, the attention to ambiance above critique. It's no surprise that Panza Verde attracts in the "beautiful people" from around the world and an elite clientele, for with it's aristocratic attention to detail, Panza Verde offers an intimate boutique experience that will instantly seduce anyone's heart.