Lemon Tree Santa Cruz

good location, just go to the right when you get off the boat and walk down the path along the water, there is sign for this place and the mexican restaurant. comfortable bed, nice open rooftop. nice people, relaxed place. good computer area. more relaxed vibe compared to other options nearby.

the water pump next to the room seemed to run all night and was pretty loud if you're a light sleeper, might be quieter rooms. kitchen was okay but a bit basic.

It was big and there was a kitchen

The showers

Staff were really kind and the rooms were clean and spacious, food was also really nice

The hostel is super nice. I stayed in the 4-bed dorm and the bed was incredibly comfy (especially the blanket - super soft!!!!). Facilities are clean. Water is warm. Huge rooftop where I did yoga every morning. Nice restaurant on the premises. There's also a kitchen, which could however benefit of a bit of improvement. The hostel is quite new and very quiet. I guess most of the people tend to stay at other popular hostels nearby. However, restaurant gets busy at dinner time. In any case, I enjoyed the quiet, privacy and peace of Lemon Tree and just went hangout to other places in the evening - it's a short 3 min walk by the lake under the moon, one of my fave things during my staying.

Kitchen is very very basic, I was able to cook super simple meals with a bit of creativity (?!) but I'd recommend the staff to invest on equipment. Tip: only a tiny super market near the playa, so bring food with you or you can buy basic stuff in santa cruz village which however is up the hill. Or yummy restaurant in the hostel.

very nice rooftop, very friendly staff, good location, nice design in the rooms

kitchen is not well equipped (even for Guatemalan hostel standards) and there is only 1 power outlet in a 4-bed dorm

I stayed in a 4bed female dorm. The first night I walk up and there was a male in another bed, for the rest of my stay no one. The beds are comfy enough, the walls are thin though. Generally around 10pm everything quiet down, but if someone is chasing some creature slapping their shoe, you'll hear and feel it. Otherwise the place is very relaxed, there's a restaurant Mr Tacos on premises, also possibly to chill out on the roof, in fact many places to chill out all around the premises and it's ca 20 m from the lake. To reach some towns on lancha you have to go to Pana and then change to another one. All in all, it's a very relaxed place in a relaxed town. I'd return.

I liked that they made overbooking, and as a result, we stayed in a private room

I usually don't leave the bad reviews. I don't expect the miracles. Unfortunately, this time it's hard to say something nice about this place. The staff wasn't nice. They tried to rip me off and make me pay 180 instead of 85Q. I could see their screen with booking, which was indicating 85 as my booking confirmation, and they would still insist on paying 180. The shower was cold in the morning and the bathroom wasn't nice or clean. There was no vibe. The staff was justifying their actions, saying that the hostel was new. It wasn't new. At least it didn't look like new. Clearly, they lack better management because it could be a nice, chill place.

The owner helped me to organise a shuttle to Guatemala Airport and you can use the kitchen with many utensils. The shared bathroom is very clean.

There is not much privacy here: The room is just next to the front door and you either leave the curtains fully open or fully closed - and when you leave them just a bit open, a lot of light from outside comes inside and everyone who arrives, can look inside. The room got very hot during the day because the window cannot be opened - and also during the night. It made me uncomfortable that the owner did not mention that they have a dog: When I wanted to sit on the terrace, the dog was around by itself and as I have a strong allergy, I left. This house and room are on Google Maps but they send very confusing instructions on how to arrive.

Good Location. Quiet hostel, I had a whole room to myself. Unfortunately, there was no hot water and also the water was turned off most of the time. You had to ask the staff to turn it on before you can have a shower. Additionally, they had bed bugs. I would not return.