Socialtel Atitlan

I had a great stay at Socialtel Selina in Lake Atitlán. It is a big, well-designed space with a nice pool, a comfortable lounge area, and a great restaurant. The food was really good. My favorites were the avocado toast and the Selina bowl. I stayed in the eight-bed female dormitory, and I was happy that it was not as cramped as some hostels. Each room had a private bathroom, which made things more convenient. Even though there is a bar, it was not loud or wild like some party hostels, so I was able to get a good night’s rest. A few things to keep in mind. Towel rental is 15 quetzales. If you are considering including breakfast with your room, I recommend skipping it. You can order anything from the menu anytime, and sometimes it is actually cheaper than prepaying for breakfast. Overall, it is a nice place to stay in Panajachel, especially if you are looking for a balance between social and relaxed. I am definitely not in my twenties, but I would stay here again. Just make sure to book early for a better rate.

The staff were amazing. They made great food recommendations, organise shuttles, got us involved in samba classes, and were so happy to ensure our stay was great.|We stayed in the private suite and it was gorgeous. Clean and lots of amenities ||Only niggle is there was no safe in the room, and take earplugs because you can hear dogs barking and fighting in the middle of the night. Not the hostel's fault though- it comes with staying that close to the town centre.

I was impressed with this place. Only stayed one night and got a private cabin but it was very comfortable. Staff were friendly and helpful as well.

The good: best location, the rooms, the common areas, the friendly local staff, the breakfast, the beach bar (party without dirstuebing other guests as it is a 5 min walk away) The bad: Hairdryer has to be borrowed from front desk, water shower was cold twice. Pools seems not so clean (or is it the white color of the sink?) Very frustrating: We booked the Indian nose sunrise hike and waited ready at 3 am to get picked up - they forgot us even though it was paid already. We received the money back and a free breakfast. I hope this was a one time mistake. However, I would come again.

Property itself is gorgeous. I appreciate the kitchen and cleaning staff. Location is amazingly close to everything I care about as a tourist Similar to others - communication is almost nonexistent: they don’t pick up their phone and messaging them through booking.com gave an email error message. I was asked to show up to my cabin about 10 minutes later so that the staff has time to turn over the place. I arrived about 15 minutes later and it was tidy but not emmaculate. I took a nap and some time later a cleaning lady came in surprised to see me - she had not turned the place over yet. I was sleeping in someone’s dirty sheets 🤢 I needed to shorten my stay and offered to pay the $50 cancellation fee and rebook with the shorter dates so I don’t pay for every single night but was advised to pay for the full original stay and they will sort out a partial refund. They now refused to provide a partial refund because I paid and already checked in (?) I’m down $200.00. Food is delicious. The Guatemalan desert activity has nice people but they didn’t speak English and we weren’t really spoken to and had no idea what we were doing or what desert we were making until someone figured out how to ask it about fifteen minutes in

Lovely looking property. Rooms were clean and comfy. Pool looked like it could be better cared for (cloudy water). Felt a little clinical but nothing objectively wrong. No social vibe.

Great place, great location and great service. We, a couple, stayed in a private room. No noice and no worry. Super good food and friendly staff, and dogs!

I wish I had done more research on Selina Atitlán before. They place an unsettling amount on emphasis on how "they don't take responsibility for items of value left in the luggage room", way more than other places. No other hostels in my trip so far (or others before) were that intense in this aspect..in hindsight, it should have been a red flag.||I had all my money and valuables extracted from my suitcase (mind you, it had a code lock that was broken into - that is, the suitcase itself was also damaged in this process), and the hostel takes a super impersonal approach to the guests who undergo through such an experience. No real appeasing, no actual manager to make themselves available, they even have a "established procedure" to not provide video footage except with a warrant - it's as if they're used to these things happening, comfortable with the impunity of not being legally liable. ||As a guest, I felt very disrespected - the hostel is ok, good price, good location, looks nice compared to other options in the lake, etc. But this experience has soured my whole Atitlan trip.