Jenna's River Bed & Breakfast

I don't have enough good words to say about Jenna's River Bed and Breakfast or the incredible staff who work there. The view from Jenna's is unmatched. The rooms -- yurt-like things -- are very comfortable. The food... Let's talk about the food.... The hotel's restaurant serves Syrian food for dinner. I've had Syrian and Middle Eastern food many times before and this was by far the best. Everything was Michelin quality. Just perfect, beautiful, and tasty. The staff -- I ran into a few problems while I was in Panajachel and the staff leapt into action to help me. I left my iphone in a Tuk Tuk. (Tuk Tuks are the lawn-mower-engine powered three-wheelers which pose for taxis in Guatemala.) Staff immediately drove me downtown where I quite luckily found the very Tuk Tuk (among hundreds) with my phone. I am forever in their debt. One note: Jenna's is built into a very steep hill leading down to Lake Atitlan and stairs are necessary to get from your room to the bar to the dining area to the street. If you don't like or can't do stairs, Jenna's is not for you. I liked the stairs, so it worked for me. Thanks Jenna's for the excellent stay!

I first have to say that everyone there is so extra accommodating and wonderful, a better staff couldn't be found anywhere. When we arrived, I realized the error in my booking. I had asked for a lower yurt not realizing that the main road was at the top. Meaning that there would be more stairs to climb to get to where we could grab a tuk tuk into town. (Be aware there are a whole lot of stairs to get everywhere) We were lucky in that It was low season and they were very kind in that they were able to change us to another room that put us closer to the main road. At the end of a long day of taking launches to other areas of the lake that location was so much better for us. Of course the view of the lake from up there was stupendous.. I had been willing to give up that view being in a lower yurt until I got there and realized thing were opposite of what I imagined. Our room was small and cozy and with a great balcony overlooking the lake...our bed was very comfy and with enough blankets to warm us thru the night..it does get chilly at night! Great shower with plenty of hot water. Housekeeping gave fresh filtered water, and clean towels every day which was a nice treat.( So many places don't change towels these days). As other people have said in their posts... I agree that the rooms (or at least the one we were in) could use more hooks to hang things and even a small table or something in the bathroom because there was no place to put anything, even the towels. For two people with toiletries it's barely enough space. The included breakfast is more than ample and always delicious with fresh made plantains, eggs, fruit, beans and home made tortillas with coffee or tea... honestly, more than I could finish... but somehow I'm managed! They also have other menu items that can be ordered with a small fee. We had dinner in their restaurant each night we stayed and loved everything we had. The kitchen staff Gabriela and Yolanda are amazing cooks and everything is made to order. After a long day visiting other places on the lake it was relaxing to come back for dinner and be overlooking the lake. We found all the meals to be tasty, satisfying but above all incredibly creative in their preparation and unique flavors, we honestly ate everything on our plates each night. We didn't have a chance to use the pool because we were out most of the day when it was warm, by the time we got back it was a bit too cool out, but I'm sure it's very refreshing on a hot day. Thank you Mari, Antonio and Rob for making our stay so memorable and great... and of course to Gabriela and Yolanda for the super delicious meals. We loved staying at Jenna's and we would stay again in a heartbeat.It's a very special place and close enough to grab a tuk tuk and be in town in minutes. **2 Things to be aware of: -----10% Is added to the food bill for tips. We were unaware of this and tipped after every meal. We didn't get paper bills after the meals so we had no idea until we settled up at the end of our stay. So by the end, adding in that 10%...we were probably tipping 25 to 30% because we loved the service and the food so much. ---My own personal pet peeve: Breakfast is served from 8 AM to 11 AM which is a great window... but for an early riser who gets up around 6 AM.. having to wait those two hours for my 1st cup of coffee was a drag. We would count down the minutes until 8am and be the first ones there! The one suggestion I would make would be programming the coffeemaker to 7 AM, even if breakfast starts later. For those of us who need that early morning coffee fix it to wake up it would be a great addition. (I met another early riser guest there who took at 6.30am tuk tuk into town just to get that 1st cup of coffee) The last day we grabbed a cold brew from town the night before and sat on the balcony in the morning with that, just waiting for 8am:-) Again.. We loved our stay at Jenna's and highly recommend it!

Really loved Jenna's and absolutely recommend it. Courteous and helpful staff, very responsive to our needs, excellent restaurant with breakfast included. Views are incredible and very serene. Tuktuks into town are available. Be aware there is no AC although I didn't find it to be so hot. This is a marvelous gem which made my stay at the lake so much better, definitely my favorite place that I stayed at in Guatemala.

My husband and I loved our stay at Jenna's River B&B! The property and the views were so beautiful, I could not stop taking pictures. We loved relaxing on our private patio as well as in the open air bar and open air restaurant. Service was friendly and accommodating. Others have made comments about the stairs. Yes, there are a lot of stairs because the entire property is on a steep hill. I was also concerned about the comfort of the bed and bugs in the room, as that had also been mentioned in a review. My husband and I slept comfortably and housekeeping cleaned the room and changed the bedding every day. We saw one or two small bugs in the bathroom, but I see bugs like that in my own home from time to time, so I didn't see that as a big deal at all. This hotel also provided us with a pitcher of filtered water in our room every day. Overall, our stay was wonderful, and we will definitely stay here again when we return to Guatemala!

Nice welcome from Mari, excellent communication from Yvan and lovely bar staff ? Antonio and Carlos. And not least the lovely Lino and Rodriguez who collected us from La Aurora. Also other lovely tourists. Liked being a little out of town and walked into Panajachel and back without problem. Fabulous views. We stayed for 4 nights in the Owl. There were only 2 rooms left so I had to choose between a fabulous view or a partial view with a larger room. With hindsight should have enquired if the other room was still available and to then choose. Opted for the view and as another reviewer states the room is small. There is nowhere to hang clothes only one hook behind the balcony door. No hooks on bathroom door so had to throw towels over the door when had finished with them . There is a lot of bedding so had to be careful didn't fall over it when took it off the bed at night on my way to the toilet. The bed is ok but the smallest we had in Guatemala. There is nothing that can be done about the size of the room.but hooks would be very useful. As the other reviewer states its noisy. There is a privately owned property next door and you could hear everything. Felt the toiletries were poor just a couple of sachets of shampoo and soap. Breakfast was the same every day unless you wanted to pay extra. Embarrassingly the 1st day we sat waiting for coffee as whilst I speak a little Spanish ( would like to be better) I missed hearing her say help yourself to coffee, thankfully another traveller advised me. Perhaps a note in the welcome book that coffee available from 06.30a.m. It was from 08.00a.m and clearly everyone was ready to eat as the dining area was packed and the poor staff extremely busy which meant a lengthy wait as at one stage 16 people all waiting. We ate things from the Syrian taster menu one evening and it was absolutely delicious.

Everything was great

management team

This place was so beautiful with a great view of the lake. Lots of steps but it gets your cardio in haha. The food was so delicious, especially the breakfast. The staff are all so kind and helpful. You are close enough to panajachel and can take a tuktuk, but it’s far enough where you feel the peacefulness of the lake. We didn’t have warm water for the shower in our room but it helps cool you off when the day is hot, small inconvenience compared to how nice everything else was. Would stay here again!

The property is beautiful. I feel it needs a little TLC. The view is amazing.

Scenery was absolutely beautiful. Owners were on property to greet us. An amazing breakfast was included. Our stay was only one night so not long enough. Everyone was so friendly , they even had a happy hour, which sadly we missed.