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Hidden Gems: Guatemala
Business travelers to this nation can quickly escape for rest and relaxation.
By Mark Holston
The Central American country of Guatemala, about the same size as the U.S. state of Tennessee, is a land of stark geographically contrasts, from towering volcanoes and temperate highlands to vast expanses of sweltering, low-lying rainforest. If you're doing business in Guatemala City, the bustling national capital and center of finance and industry, try to arrange a day or two for leisure and experience the exotic cultural and scenic wonders just an hour or two by car from the capital.
Antigua and Lake Atitlán
The most obvious choice for a quick getaway is the enchanting colonial city of Antigua, less than an hour by car from Guatemala City. Indeed, it's not unusual for Guatemalan business executives to
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Lake Atitlán
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motor out to this lovingly preserved example of Spanish colonial-era grandeur just to enjoy an extended business lunch at one of a number of notable gourmet restaurants. Add another hour for a stroll through Antigua's historic center, and a quick but satisfying tour of this unique destination can be wrapped up in just half a day.
A mere 31 miles further into the interior lies Lake Atitlán, with its sense of isolation, radiant beauty (the lake is over 1,100 feet deep), a sprinkling of indigenous villages along its rugged shoreline and volcanoes towering over it. The lake-fronting city of Panajachel is home to a wide range of luxury accommodations and enticing dining options, almost all featuring freshwater fish from the lake.
Quetzaltenango
Guatemala's second city doesn't get a lot of attention as a tourist destination, and that's a shame. This metropolis of a quarter of a million offers a disarming, "lost in time" quality that visitors seeking a true "cultural tourism" experience will quickly surrender to. The surrounding verdant mountains, laced with coffee plantations, vegetable farms and thermal hot springs, contribute to Quetzaltenango's appeal.
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Quetzaltenango
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A primary attraction is the spacious, rectangular Central Plaza, which is both a focal point of the city's social life and a resplendent reflection of its historic significance. The plaza boasts imperious architectural ornamentations and statuary, fountains and flower gardens. Surrounding it are Quetzaltenango's most majestic public buildings.
The city's provincial character is underscored by its many welcoming hotels, which are all locally owned. One that stands out is Hotel Modelo, which opened its doors in 1892. Today it is managed by José Manuel del Busto Miralbes, the great-grandson of its Spanish immigrant founder. "Quetzaltenango is in the process of being qualified as an Emerging and Sustainable City by the Inter-American Development Bank, and that is bringing a lot of attention," Del Busto says. "The nearby villages have a rich Mayan culture full of tradition and color. The growth in tourism will make us improve our infrastructure and clean up our act in order to be the destination we promote ourselves to be."
Monterrico
Less than three hours from Guatemala's capital, you'll find beaches of glistening black volcanic sand on the Pacific coastline. It's an attractive option for a traditional "sun and surf" vacation. However, there's an important twist: Except for a small handful of resorts, the area is largely undeveloped, with just a scattering of small villages. Part of the Monterrico region is also a national park, with mysterious mangrove forests and world-class bird watching. The Dos Mundos Pacific Resort, designed and built by an Italian hotelier, is the perfect place to enjoy a few days of relaxation and low impact eco-tourism. With 14 large cabanas, two pools and an open-air restaurant, Dos Mundos will quickly seduce visitors with its unaffected approach to tropical hospitality.
Photos by Mark Holston
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News from our Partners
(Click the headlines to read full stories)
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Travel News
Flooding, landslides and other effects of Tropical Storm Manuel forced authorities to close Acapulco's international airport and the road between Mexico City and Acapulco. Some flights have resumed at the airport. On the nation's Gulf Coast, the remnants of Hurricane Ingrid brought heavy rain, landslides and severe inundation. Meanwhile, widespread, unrelated, protests in Mexico City have blocked main roads there.
New Airline Routes and Route Changes
 On October 27, GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes will begin new round-trip flights between Săo Paulo's Viracopos-Campinas Airport and the Brazilian cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro. Most of the routes will have at least one daily flight.
Aeromexico now offers direct flights between Puerto Penasco, Mexico and Las Vegas (Nevada, U.S.).
Alaska Airlines now offers daily nonstop service between Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas, U.S.) and Portland, Oregon.
 Doha-based Qatar Airways will become a full member of the oneworld alliance on October 30. The airline will give the alliance some 20 new destinations and five new countries: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Serbia, Tanzania and Iran. LAN Colombia will join the alliance on October 1. Other members of oneworld include TAM, LAN, American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia.
A pilot strike, which was expected to end on September 18, forced Avianca Colombia to cancel more than 100 domestic flights. Pilots and the airline, which is part of Avianca Holdings, are in a dispute regarding overtime pay. Other Avianca flights and those of TACA are not affected.
U.S. carrier Southwest Airlines is now enforcing a new no-show policy: Fliers must contact the airline at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled flight in order to make changes to their tickets and use any remaining funds from the itinerary towards a new flight. If they don't contact the airline by that time, they risk losing the value of the ticket. The airline formerly allowed passenger to not show up for a flight, and then contact Southwest later to use the remaining funds toward a new flight. The airline still allows customers, even those with non-refundable tickets, to make itinerary changes ahead of time without paying a penalty.
A new Smart Travel Pack offered by Delta Air Lines allows SkyMiles members at any level to pay US$199 for a package of extra services. The Smart Travel Pack gives up to eight people traveling on the same reservation a free checked bag, priority boarding, access to Delta's Preferred Seats (bulkhead, exit row, aisle and window seats near the front of the plane) without paying a fee, a 50% discount on upgrades to Economy Comfort on domestic flights and a 25% discount for the upgrade on international flights. In addition, the SkyMiles member who books Smart Travel Pack gets a 20% bonus SkyMiles credit for the flight. The Travel Pack offer is good for flights through January 5, 2014.
United Airlines now offers microbrews, imported beers and regional beers for purchase in its United Club lounges in U.S. airports (domestic beer is still complimentary). The lounges also offer new wines and spirits. It is offering complimentary guided tastings of Glenfiddich Whisky at its U.S. club lounges in Houston, New York/Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles.
United plans to work with Los Angeles International Airport on a US$400 million revamp of its three terminals, which will include updated lounges, improved security screening, a more efficient baggage system and a new lounge for premium customers.
Hotel room rates in the U.S. will rise by an average of between 5% and 6% next year for business travelers, according to a study from the Tisch Center for Hospitality at New York University in the U.S. It's also likely that fewer amenities will be included in room rates, following the trend over the past couple of years.
Brazilian low-cost carrier GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes is implementing a new mileage accrual model for its SMILES loyalty program. Beginning October 10, mileage will be calculated based on ticket price for domestic flights, and promotional fares that already offer price benefits will no longer accrue miles. On international flights, SMILES will continue to use distance travelled to calculate accrued mileage.
 Through the end of this year, Virgin America is offering bonus points to its Elevate members when they hit certain points-earning milestones, and is offering double points for bookings in Main Cabin Select and First Class. The deal requires registration.
Through January 15, 2014, Marriott Rewards members can earn one free night in certain categories of room for every two qualifying nights that they stay. The MegaBonus promotion requires registration.
HHonors members will earn a 1,000-point bonus each time they book a stay through the company's new iPhone booking app. This applies to stays booked by the end of this year and reserved through December 31, 2014.
Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points (elite members earn 1,500) per qualifying stay booked via the company's website or mobile app; the promotion requires registration.
Car Rental Loyalty Programs
Through January 31, 2014, members of National Car Rental's Emerald Club earn 600 points for every two rentals of mid-sized or larger cars for two or more days. Members can also earn points for referrals and other actions during National's "One-Two-Free" promotion, which requires registration.
Photos: Gol by By Gustavo Ribeiro Faria via Wikimedia Commons; Qatar Airways by ltbaspotter - Bulent Kavakkoru; Virgin America courtesy Virgin America
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