In the charming town of Concepción de Ataco, El Salvador, is Casa Degraciela hotel. The family-owned boutique hotel served as the hacienda to the Degraciela family for over 100 years and continues to serve as their home today.
From a quiet side street, steps from Ataco’s town square, sits the u-shaped hacienda. Decorated with Western saddles and antiques from the old days, General Manager Gerardo Cornejo Anduray wants you to feel at home when you stay at this unique bed and breakfast. Guests are greeted by an attentive bilingual staff, and the friendly house cat.
The 1890 colonial style hotel features four rooms and one suite. The Doña Graciela suite converts to two rooms. Prices range from $94.40 to 129.80 and $247.80 for the suite. The fee, with tax, includes a full breakfast of El Salvadorean or American style cuisine with waffles, fruit juice, bread and coffee grown on the family’s plantation I’m not a coffee drinker, but I enjoyed eggs with queso fresco, fried plantains and red beans, accompanied by the best El Salvadorean hot chocolate! I brought back some of the chocolate discs they use to make this delicious treat. I’m going to be so sad when my supply runs out!
My double bed room was compact, but came with air conditioning, bottled water and a spotlessly clean bathroom with beautiful rust colored tile and natural rock woven through the shower design. Glass bottles of shampoo and conditioner were in the shower stall and a tea light was waiting to be lite. Sounds of piped in El Salvadorean music filled the air and a fountain babbled in the courtyard.
As is typical in El Salvador during the rainy season, lightening lite up the sky at night, offering refreshment to the grass within the courtyard. This would be a wonderful location for a special event. I felt like royalty eating breakfast outside in the courtyard. There is also a bar/cantina on property to take breakfast.
There is no swimming pool at the hotel, but I found the mountain town of Ataco to be cooler than Suchitoto or San Salvador city, so no pool was necessary.
Need to know:
Check in: 2:00 p.m.
Check out: 11:00 a.m
Wi-fi, bottled water and valet parking are included in the rates. If you are traveling with a pet, Suite Doña Graciela has a private terrace that is pet-friendly.
Insider Tip:
If you plan to bring home the El Salvador coffee, take a coffee plantation tour at El Carmen Estate. For $5.00 you’ll get a tour of the plantation and you may taste the coffee before purchase. In town, try dinner at Restaurant Sibaritas and stop at The House of Coffee, down the street one block from the restaurant. Here you may taste the coffee before buying or do like me and enjoy a cup of rich, creamy hot chocolate made with local chocolate.
If You Go:
Casa Degraciela (503) 7546-7124
Norte N°2, Barrio el Centro
Concepción de Ataco,
Ahuachapán, El Salvador
Central America
Article, photography and video by travel writer Nancy D. Brown. I was a guest of Casa Degraciela and El Salvador Tourism, however all opinions are my own.