Nicaragua Hotels - Hotels in Nicaragua

Our Criteria When Choosing Nicaragua Hotels

Tours Nicaragua offers only the best hotels in Nicaragua that exist in each locale. It is important to note that Nicaragua’s current level of hotel infrastructure does not allow for a great breadth of quality options and most of the good hotels are of small size. This means space is at a premium for the Tours Nicaragua traveler, a customer that looks for quality, comfort and character. Unlike many tour outfitters in Nicaragua and the region, Tours Nicaragua would prefer to not offer a tour, rather than put one of our customers in a Nicaragua hotel that is not up to standards. For Tours Nicaragua the key to a great hotel in Nicaragua is not luxury or frills, rather quality, safety, comfort and unique character.

In some of Nicaragua’s smaller villages or rural areas used in our political history, nature and cultural tours the Nicaragua hotels and lodges are quite simple, but always with private bath, clean and friendly. Above are some examples of the hotels in Nicaragua we use. This list is not exhaustive, but will help to reference which properties we most often use for our guests. We welcome questions on these Nicaragua hotels and others that may appear in your itinerary. Though Nicaragua’s hotels are not normally a reason to visit Nicaragua, most visitors find many of them unique, pleasant and very human, a welcome change from many of the parade of faceless hotels that populate our world’s travel destinations.

León Hotels

Hotel El Convento in León

León’s best hotel: great character, friendly service, gorgeous garden, great location, one of a kind.

Hotel Cacique Adiact

León’s second best hotel: new, well appointed rooms, low key, quiet, local flavor, good locale.

Nicaragua’s León is one of Central America’s most historic cities. Founded in 1524 on the shores of Lake Managua (Lago Xolotlán), León was moved to its current location in 1609.

León, the capital of Nicaragua during 297 years of Spanish colonial rule, is oft thought to be a more authentic travel experience than Granada, though Granada has more hotel options. Most León hotels tend to be backpacker hostels and low range hotel options, but there are few Leon hotel options of international standard. Fortunately there are two quality hotels in León that can be recommended by Tours Nicaragua.

Granada Hotels

Hotel Plaza Colón in Granada

Top rate, great location, service, spacious beautifully appointed rooms, some with balconies to park

Hotel Los Patios in Granada

Very exclusive, 5 rooms and 5 patios, great service, superb breakfast, quiet, Scandinavia meets Spain

Hotel Darío in Granada

Exciting locale, restored 2 story colonial home, good restaurant, some with view to Cathedral

Hotel Patio del Malinche in Granada

A beautiful colonial home, very laid back ambiance and nice central garden, European sized rooms

Hotel La Gran Francia in Granada

A classic colonial hotel, next to central park, rustic and comfy rooms, service slow but friendly

Granada is Nicaragua’s most famous colonial city attraction. Founded in 1524 on the shores of Lake Nicaragua (Lago Cociboca), Granada was also a favorite of colonial era pirates and international adventurers. Today visitors are looking for nature, adventure and culture. Granada offers classic architecture and a vibrant culture, night life and unique hotels. Granada hotels have been multiplying yearly, but few actually get it right. Below are our favorite hotels in Granada, with each Granada hotel having its own special charm, combine with quality and service. We can offer other options, but please see our list of recommended hotels in Granada below.

San Juan del Sur Hotels

Hotel Alcázar in San Juan del Sur

Small, stylish but low keyed, this is right in the center of the village across from beach and restaurants

Hotel Victoriano in San Juan del Sur

Historic Victorian style restored home on north end of the beach, comfy, small and sunny

Hotel Posada Azul in San Juan del Sur

Located 1 block from beach, intimate B&B with very personal service, decorated with Nicaraguan art

Hotel Pelican Eyes Resort in San Juan del Sur

On a bluff over the bay, mixture of rooms, suites and villas, fine style with quality materials, great views

San Juan del Sur is Nicaragua’s most famous coastal destination. Located on Nicaragua’s sunny south Pacific Coast, it has the most hotel infrastructure of any Nicaraguan coastal town. Hotels in San Juan del Sur are for the most part simple, but there are some attractive exceptions.

There are hilltop ocean view hotels in San Juan del Sur, as well as nearly beach front San Juan del Sur hotels. Since the beach is dominated by palm thatched restaurants, hotels in San Juan del Sur are usually located on the other side of the coastal street that runs along the beach.

Nicaragua Beach Hotels

Mukul Resort in Nicaragua

The most upscale of Nicaraguan hotels on a gorgeous Pacific Beach, very relaxed & exclusive

Morgan’s Rock Ecolodge in Nicaragua

World-class eco-bungalows on a spectacular beach with 4,000 acres of private nature reserve

Aqua Nicaragua Wellness Resort in Nicaragua

Upscale “tree-house” cabins located on a shady Pacific Beach cove with yoga and laid back style

Hotel Orquídea del Sur in Nicaragua

On a bluff overlooking Playa Yankee, south of San Juan del Sur, 5 room, very private boutique hotel

Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast is home to numerous pristine beaches backed by tropical forest. Such beach hotels as Mukul Resort, Aqua Wellness Resort, Morgan’s Rock Ecolodge and the boutique beach hotel Orquidea del Sur have made Nicaragua’s Pacific Beaches a favorite of our clients. These Nicaragua beach hotels are intimate, high quality properties that accentuate the tropical beach nature that surrounds them. For beach hotels in Nicaragua these are some of the top choices that exist for the international traveler who is looking to escape overbuilt beach resorts and enjoy relaxation, sun and warm water without all the crowds and concrete.

Lake Nicaragua Hotels

Zapatera Island National Park – Santa Maria Ecolodge & Spa

Lake front rooms with full beds, private baths and fans, a unique bar and dining area and very rustic spa

Ometepe Island Biosphere Reserve – Hotel San Juan de la Isla

Lake front log cabins, rooms and adobe bungalows, sandy beach, great views, best quality, no crowds

Las Isletas Archipelago – Jicaro Island Ecolodge

Lake front split-level bungalows, beautiful decks, first class service, superb food, expensive and worth it

Solentiname Archipelago – Hotel Celentiname

Rustic lake front cabins with private bath on San Fernando Island, lake and island views, home cooking

Lake Nicaragua or Lago Cocibolca is Latin America’s second largest lake and one of the cleanest and most beautiful in the hemisphere. Lake Nicaragua enjoys year-round 80°+ (27°C) water temps and is teaming with aquatic life and punctuated by more than 450 volcanic islands. Incredibly more than 80% of the lake water is still clean enough to drink and commercial boat traffic is nearly nil. This wonderful lack of development is also reflected in Lake Nicaragua hotel infrastructure, with the best hotels being ecolodge lodges and rural lodges that reflect the peace and year-round sunshine of the lake. One of these lodges, Jicaro Island Ecolodge is upscale the rest are precious for their locales and exclusivity, for few travelers have enjoyed the private shores and beaches of the unique islands in Lake Nicaragua. Below is a complete list of Lake Nicaragua hotels we recommend for our visitors.

Matagalpa, Cordillera Dariense Hotels

Selva Negra Mountain Resort

Nica-Bavarian cabins set next to a private cloud forest reserve and organic shade coffee plantation

Matagalpa is Nicaragua’s coffee capital, a bustling agricultural city, Nicaragua’s third largest. Set up in a small mountain valley, Matagalpa is not terribly attractive to most, but high up in the mountains above the city is one of the most famous properties in Nicaragua. Selva Negra, Black Forest in Spanish is the project of 2nd and 3rd generation German-Nicaraguans. Although Matagalpa has various hotels, none capture the essence of this coffee region, nor enjoy the privacy and great climate like Selva Negra does. Not only are the Selva Negra cabins pleasantly located and cozy, but the cloud forest reserve is excellent for spotting howler monkeys and at times the resplendent quetzal. The farming operation is one of the most ecologically sound in the world, a real model for the entire world with organic cheese, meats, flowers and coffee being just some of the products that are produced on the grounds. When choosing a Matagalpa hotel, there is still really only one quality option.

Managua Hotels

Metrocentro – Real Intercontinental Managua

Near the new cathedral, more character than most big hotels, great food and quality all around

Restaurant District – Hotel Los Robles

14 room hotel around interior garden with pool, full service restaurant, personal service, great local

Nicaragua’s capital city since 1858, Managua for most is not a must see. Yet the city which has many rough edges also has some interesting attractions. Located on the shores of Lake Managua or Lago Xolotlán, Managua hotels are numerous and highly varied. Tours Nicaragua prefers the Managua hotels which have unique character, personal service and very good quality and above all location. We make one exception for one top quality bigger hotel. In fact, despite so many options, Tours Nicaragua can only recommend three hotels at this time, the intimate settings of Hotel Los Robles and Hotel Casa Naranja and the top quality of the Real Intercontinental when getting a good rest after a long flight or before a flight home is the main priority. There will be many new Managua hotels in the future and we will keep our clients up to date if there appears one that combines the above criteria.

Jinotega, Cordillera Dariense Hotels

Jinotega City – Hotel El Café

4 blocks from central park, NGO favorite, simple rooms, private bath, hot water, cable TV, restaurant

La Bastilla Ecolodge

Modern, multi-story hotel outside town, nice rooms and service, modern design + comfort, new 2013

El Jaguar Private Nature Reserve

Rustic cabins, private cloud forest reserve, organic coffee, hot water private baths, home cooked meals

Jinotega is one of Nicaragua’s largest, rural and poor provinces. The capital of the province, the city of Jinotega shows a fair amount of wealth thanks to being a commercial center for the sprawling coffee plantations that mark Jinotega´s interior. Aside from a decent hotel choice in Jinotega city, the most interesting Jinotega hotel options are on those coffee plantations, in particular the shade coffee plantation of La Bastilla on the frontier of the beautiful Datanlí Nature Reserve and the private nature reserve at the El Jaguar organic coffee plantation and cloud forest. Both aforementioned coffee plantations are excellent places for bird watching and cultural tours of the region can be done using the Hotel El Café in the city of Jinotega.

Estelí, Cordillera Isabella Hotels

Estelí Central Park – Hotel Los Arcos

Just off central park, NGO favorite, simple, neat rooms with private bath, hot water, cable TV, restaurant

Panamerican Highway in Estelí – Hotel Hex

Modern, multi-story hotel outside town, nice rooms and service, modern design + comfort, new 2013

Settled by Spanish fleeing the pirate attacks on Nueva Segovia and Ocotal, Estelí was once one of the prettiest mountain villages in Nicaragua. The populations staunch opposition to Somoza family rule in the 20th century meant it was a site of constant rebellion from 1978-79 and suffered heavy damage in that time period. Today’s ad-hoc version of Estelí will not win any architectural awards, but the city remains a vibrant commercial center that does not forget its revolutionary roots. What dominates the economy today is cigar production, with numerous Estelí cigar factories pumping out millions of Cuban seed Nicaraguan cigars that are often rated in the top 5 world-wide. The combination of the cigar business and the fertile NGO grounds of Estelí mean hotels are often full. Fortunately there are two good options for hotels in Estelí, each with its own strengths which are outlined below.

Río San Juan Hotels

El Castillo, San Juan River – Hotel Victoria

Charming wooden rooms with private bath, mosquito netting, friendly service, Indio-Maíz close

Indio-Maíz Biological Reserve, San Juan River – Río Indio Lodge

Comfy river front cabins with king beds, screened porches, generated power morning and night only.

Nicaragua’s San Juan River is one of the most beautiful waterways in Central America and the only drainage for the massive Lake Nicaragua. Travel from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea on the Río San Juan with Tours Nicaragua in private boat and guided by one of our naturalist guide is a truly a unique experience. There are very few San Juan River hotels with the exception of the charming river front village of El Castillo located beneath a 17th century Spanish fortress and at the end of the river where there is a beautiful and remote ecolodge. Our favorite San Juan River hotels are featured below.

Solentiname Archipelago Hotels

Solentiname Archipelago – Hotel Celentiname

Rustic lake front cabins with private bath on San Fernando Island, lake and island views, home cooking

The Solentiname Archipelago is located in the remote southeastern part of the great Lake Nicaragua. The 36 islands are home to a unique school of painting and sculpture for Nicaragua and are blessed by sunshine, tropical forest and water that is teaming with fish like snook and guapote. There are several lodging options on Solentiname, none of which provide many creature comforts. That said our choice Celentiname has been serving our clients for years and the simple cabins of the hotel are located on San Fernando on a small bluff above a point with views to smaller islands and the wild southern shores of Lake Nicaragua and the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge. Grounds are visited by hummingbirds, iguanas and the little dock by fishing bats. Consider it camping with a roof and private bath.