1 of 5 Luxury Castle-Like Homes (Pool/Hot-Tub) (Sleeps 2 to 42 Guests)

• Vladislav de Leon, Rockland, Canada.

  Vladislav de Leon, Rockland, Canada.

  • Guest gato
  • Date of stay 01/05/12
  • Review Submitted 02/01/12
  I know I’m posting this a little late. SORRY better later than never? We stay at this Magnificent home myself, my wife and two kids (4 and 6 years old) and my brother in law, his wife and daughter one year old. It was well located so we could walk into town during the day or night. It was also a very secure sight with 24 hours security. The location is by far the best in Antigua for a furnished house. Market, restaurants, and central park is such a treat. We were 7 people and had plenty of space if we needed something the house is a quick five minutes walk from the market, and ten minutes to the town square at night it was so quiet and peaceful. The architecture and design features are stunning the colours, cushions everywhere and attractive art touches. Really the house should be in a MAGAZINE. The house is so well decorated and equipped that it immediately feels like home. As soon as you think it's too good to be true, you get to meet the full-time housekeeper. She's simply amazing. She keeps the house impressively clean and organized and has a sweet and friendly spirit. Our Kids LOVE THE POOL and Jacuzzi There is TVs, and a lot of dvds for all ages and we love the fireplace with some wine just to relax. The beds have great mattresses, good linens, and the master bathroom has my ideal of the ultimate bathtub - the owner even provided romantic candles everywhere to enjoy it with. Oooohh don’t forget the incredible view of volcanos surrounding Antigua great view of the volcan de Agua in the morning from the master Room. Wow what a view!!!! Philippa the owner is incredibly accommodating helpful at every turn, with great insights on the local culture, restaurants, tours, transportation, you name it - she is well connected and an incredible resource. She's simply wonderful to work with and has been so flexible with us. My brother-in-law and I decided to get a massage the girls came to the house. It was great. My wife was a little disappointed because we just stay 3 days. She wanted to stay longer but for sure next time. We are going to spend more time in Antigua and you bet that we are going to rent this place again and again. In summary - just stay here! You won't be disappointed!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Eight was Not a crowd

  Eight was Not a crowd

  • Guest Love Antigua!
  • Date of stay 02/25/13
  • Review Submitted 03/04/13
  All I can say is WOW! We left Antigua yesterday after sharing this lovely home with three other couples for a week. The home is much better than the pictures! All four couples said they would stay there again. There is enough room to congregate in the kitchen, dining room, patio or living room, and there is enough space in each of the bedrooms to afford some time away from the gang. We were the couple who did not have an ensuite bathroom, we shared a bath with another couple. We did not mind at all. I would make one suggestion...to add a dressing table to the room we stayed in, I sat on the bench to apply makeup with a hand mirror...it worked out ok...but a dressing table would have been grand! For those visiting, be sure to pick up extra Toilet paper as they do not provide...and the bath towel situation is a bit hard to figure out. Other than that, enjoy the home, Antigua, and the people of Guatemala. Visit the Vahalla Macadamia Nut Farm, the owners Lorenzo and Emily are quite colorful!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Casa Santa Cruz is more charming than in pictures

  Casa Santa Cruz is more charming than in pictures

  • Guest Clauds
  • Date of stay 01/27/13
  • Review Submitted 02/22/13
  We arrived in Jan 27 2013 and the house looks just as beautiful in person, we had a great stay we wish we could stay longer next time we will. All the staff was great also very safe place to stay in Guatemala lots of security away from the noise but also close to all the main attractions of Antigua. If you are planning a trip to Guatemala you have to visit Antigua and you must stay in one of Phillipa's houses I travel to Guatemala every year and from now on I know where I'll be staying. Great for families as well as for young travelers that love that European charm we had a great time with a group of girls that came on this trip. Thanks for our lovely stay we enjoyed casa Santa Cruz

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Lovely place to stay

  Lovely place to stay

  • Guest Beth
  • Date of stay 01/11/13
  • Review Submitted 01/22/13
  We stayed in one of the slightly smaller places--they are all around that central pool--I can't remember the name. It really was just lovely, and not at all small. The one we stayed in had three bedrooms, one with a king bed and two with twins. All the rooms were very nice and included a complete bathroom (not sure I remember any bathtubs if you care about those). The whole place was very spacious, high ceilinged, lots of windows to let in let a cross breeze. It had a few little private patio areas in addition to the shared pool/hot tub space. Was a great place for my older (70ish) parents to begin their first real trip outside the U.S., as it was just so pleasant and safe feeling. We also had our 5 year old daughter with us. We picked this place partly because of the pool, and she had a great time cannonballing the afternoon away every day. The pool was a little brisk for me, so I enjoyed the hot tub instead. I do agree with the one reviewer who said it feels more like 7 longish blocks to the square. Not an issue at all if you are used to walking/in decent shape. My folks were feeling a bit under the weather, so combined with all the other walking (find a bank, find food, look around etc) it did feel a little far...I forgot how much walking around you usually end up doing in latin america w/out a car. That said, I could have easily grabbed a tuk tuk or cab for everyone when they started to get worn out. Everyone who helped us out--mostly we spoke with Paola who speaks English well--was super helpful. We did have one small misfire--didn't find anyone to pick up up when we arrived at the airport. Wasn't a big deal to just grab a different ride, I speak enough Spanish. If you've never been to latin america though, and haven't dealt with the throng of taxi guys, that can be a bit intimidating. We had several other rides arranged through Sofia/Paola/Phillipa & all went well. My daughter made friends with Fernando, the guy who took us out to Lake Atitlan & back, and to the airport. If you stay, Hugo's Ceviche truck is close (head up the big road divided by the median, toward the market) and very good! Yes, you can get ceviche out of the back of a pickup truck. There's also grocery store up that same street, and various fried chicken places, so food wasn't too far, once we got oriented. Overall, a great place, I'd stay again for sure.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Gorgeous and convenient Antigua rental!

  Gorgeous and convenient Antigua rental!

  • Guest New Mexican mama
  • Date of stay 09/14/12
  • Review Submitted 10/03/12
  This rental meets every expectation and more! It is a lovely property as reflected in the photos with every amenity to make one's stay comfortable (and I have traveled enough in the region to know what a difference that can make). Even better, having staff onsite who can answer questions and arrange babysitting for our kids was a real perk, as was the pool of course. The owner, Phillipa, was super attentive to our needs as well and made sure everything was perfect during our stay. I could not have asked for anything more. The property is literally blocks from the center of town and makes for a great location to explore Antigua on foot. Both kids and grandparents were happy during our stay at this house, not an easy feat. Looking forward to our next visit already!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Absolutely Gorgeous!

  Absolutely Gorgeous!

  • Guest Mamel
  • Date of stay 10/10/11
  • Review Submitted 09/23/12
  This was a wonderful surprise! After a 4 hour delay of the airlines and a 2 hour wait to register for lost luggage, I exited the airport to see my name printed out on a paper held by an older man in the crowd. I'd been worried there wouldn't be anyone there, what with all the delays! But no, a charming, better English speaker than my Spanish, gentleman, took me up the mountain and down to Antigua! And arriving late at night, in the dark, and exhausted, a sigh slid from my lips when the lights went on in the courtyard. This was worth all the troubles and stops! The space was beautiful, inside and out. The premises beat the photos and the staff was exceptional. Over the following week, three friends joined me for a workshop in town and were equally thrilled with the space. We each had our own bedroom and bath and felt we were in a place of beauty and comfort served by a staff that exceeded all expectations! On the last night of our workshop, we invited 20 people to come for dinner. Dona Clara and her assistant, prepared an exceptional meal at a reasonable (actually cheap for what we had) dinner. They did the shopping and preparations which exceeded our requests and the leftovers, continued to feed us for the next few days. Each day we returned in a tuktuk or by foot, to the clean, beautifully maintained properties. Each night we were happy to sit in the hot tub and watch the stars over the courtyard. We all decided we wanted to come back whether or not there was a workshop involved. The information provided by the owners sent us on several around the town excursions to restaurants, shops and sights we wanted to see and places we didn't even know we wanted to see.. Any questions about locations, places to visit, extra pillows, and where do we find shampoo were answered by a member of the staff complete with a little drawing of the way to get there or the name to give the tuktuk driver. We felt deliciously cared for by such warm and friendly people. I would absolutely recommend this to family and friends and even people I've never met. The kindness and genuine hearts of the onsite staff, the beauty and care with which the spaces were created and the quiet elegance of the entire property were more than we expected and the privacy of the spaces made it feel as if we were in someone's own home. I fully expect you will love this experience and encourage you to check this out for a lovely place to stay on your visit to Antigua.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• The Castle

  The Castle

  • Guest Luz Maria
  • Date of stay 06/20/12
  • Review Submitted 09/23/12
  When i saw the ads I was very intrigued, of why the castle description, as I was going to be in a colonial town built by Spaniards, with a muslim influence on their architecture, e voila, as soon as I passed the door I had this sensation of being in a huge castle, as the spaces are so magnificent, ample, somehow I felt empowered, royal, nevertheless,it is a truly colonial spaniard house though done with an air for kings and queens and little princes.That feeling got reinforced at the balconys, and then another majestic feature appears, in all its might and power, The Volcan de Agua!!!!Honestly what a beautifull and great place to spend my days in Antigua, after great bars, amazing restaurants, coming home was, an experience as we always ended up in that sensuous pool!!! Loved my days there and if you want to get royal , feel royal, this is the place!!!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• best place in town

  best place in town

  • Guest Cle
  • Date of stay 04/12/12
  • Review Submitted 09/22/12
  I have been to Antigua quite a few times over the last years and this is far out the best place I have been staying. I definitely will come back.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Perfect

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Perfect

  • Guest Steven F
  • Date of stay 11/29/11
  • Review Submitted 09/22/12
  I stayed with my 2 daughters and my son in June. We were blown away. I have been traveling for years and this was by far the best ever. Rooms are beautiful and large, kitchen was to die for. The kids used the pool and hot tub and The location was central. We found it a short enoyable walk to the central market and anywhere else we decided we wanted to stroll. Great service and hospitallity We will be back 100% for sure. Recommended for: Age 55+, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

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• Truly Memorable time..

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Truly Memorable time..

  • Guest Emily R
  • Date of stay 07/04/11
  • Review Submitted 09/22/12
  We had a truly memorable time at this vacation home. If possible, I'd rent it out for the whole 2 months that we are here in Guatemala! I've used VRBO.com a few times before, but this time proved to be well worth it! I've never stayed in a place on vacation where I honestly felt at home--even the kids had a beautiful little table where they could eat their breakfast in the morning. I will never again come to Antigua and look for hotels--Philippa, we WILL see you again in the near future! If you are looking for the perfect place to stay in Antigua, look no further!

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If no availability, check our webiste for our other beautiful homes next door:
guatemala-vacation-rentals DOT com . LOW SEASON: $240/day, $1400/week $3900/month.
The rates incl the housekeeper from Mon-Sat (2 hours/day) (all cleaning/laundry)
HIGH SEASON: Easter & Christmas USD350/day
The rates include electricy/water/gas bills for short term rentals. These are not
included in long term rentals of 3 weeks or more.
Reservation is confirmed with a damage deposit of only $200 ($400 for longer term)
of between USD200-400, which is returned to you 1 week after departure.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.