Staying at Los Patios Hotel in Granada, Nicaragua

Want to feel like a pampered princess without busting your budget? Of course you do. Then head to Nicaragua. I must admit, One thing that drew me to Nicaragua was certainly the prices. That and the sun and promise of adventure. I was a bit nervous though and wanted to make my first few days as easy an integration as possible.

Granada was the perfect place to relax and get acquainted with Nicaragua. The city itself is small enough to not be overwhelming and very walkable. It has gorgeous, colourful Colonial buildings, enough activities nearby to keep you busy and Calle La Calzada, a street of restaurants and bars that will make getting meal a piece of cake.

And for my accommodations for my first few nights, Los Patios Hotel was the perfect choice. From the street, it seems tiny, but tidy and well maintained. Indeed, it only has four rooms and a family suite, but I wasn’t prepared for what greeted me beyond the front gate. The hotel is as much outdoors as indoors. This is actually a very common architecture feature in Nicaragua. Rooms transition seemlessly into patios and courtyards.

The hotel is named after the five patios that you’ll encounter as you explore deeper into the property. The second patio was my favourite. There’s a large, white U-shaped couch perfect for lounging, a couple of hanging chairs and, my two favourites: the pool and hammocks. Is there anything better than pools and hammocks? When temperatures are routinely 30C and above a pool is super refreshing.

Another thing to love about Los Patios is the AC. Seriously, for this Canadian girl, AC makes all the difference between a good night’s sleep and tossing and turning. I slept like a baby during my two nights at Los Patios. Rooms also feature other creature comforts you won’t find in every local hotel like hot water, a hair dryer, fluffy towels (not crunchy air dryed ones), and a safe for your valuables. All things that made the intro to my Nicaraguan vacation so much easier.

Breakfast in the morning is also included with your room. And we’re not talking a plain Jane scrambled eggs and toast deal. For starter you’re served a large bowl of fresh fruit, coffee, and juice, followed by your choice of an American continental breakfast or traditional Nica breakfast. I went the trad route and started my day with gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, tortilla, cheese, and plaintain. It was enough to keep me going into the afternoon, even with my Fitbit buzzing to tell me I’d hit my 10,000 steps.

A photo posted by Melissa Hogan (@suitcaseandheels) on Mar 9, 2016 at 5:51am PST

The hotel is a few blocks removed from the central park and “restaurant row” but it was perfect. A safe, five minute walk, it was an oasis of calm. Floating around in the pool at night, it was so calm, quiet and relaxing. The best way to decompress after a day of volcano hiking or souvenir hunting in the market.

Have you ever visited Granada?

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