Greengo's, Lanquin

Greengos Hostel is an excellent hostel to stay at when visiting Semuc Champey. Although it is far from the nearest town, Greengos is like an oasis for travelers. It is an extremely social hostel run by excellent staff. It features a good restaurant and bar, clean and comfy rooms, laundry, and activities, and they can organize local tours and shuttles to your next destination. You will never feel bored even though you’re in the middle of nowhere!

The Location

Greengos is located just a ten-minute walk past Semuc Champey, the area’s star attraction. It does take about thirty minutes driving from the nearest town of Lanquin, but the hostel will pick you up for free if the reservation is for at least two nights. There is virtually nothing else near the hostel, but there are plenty of amenities and activities on the property or organized by the hostel. The front gate is locked from midnight to 6:30 a.m. and the property feels very safe.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Greengos has many great and affordable options for accommodation including four-, seven-, and nine-bed dorm rooms, private rooms with shared bathrooms, and private rooms en suite. All of the rooms are very spacious and cleaned daily. Guests are given a sheet, a towel, and a blanket upon arrival. There are few outlets in the dorm rooms, but each bed is very nice and has its own storage and shelf area. The shared bathrooms are very clean and feature five stalls for toilets, five stalls for hot showers (when the electricity is on), and a communal sink area with available hand soap.

Common Spaces

There are many great common spaces that guests can enjoy on the property including the kitchen and bar area with many hammocks and seating option, as well as board games and books for borrowing, music, and sometimes movies. There is also a ping-pong table, large sand volleyball court, swimming lagoon, and bonfire area. There are also benches on a covered porch outside of the dorm rooms. Greengos is an extremely social hostel, and can definitely be considered a party hostel on some nights! There is a bonfire every night, and guests are always socializing in the common areas, especially when the Wi-Fi is not available. Greengos only runs the electricity from 6 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to midnight. The only option is to eat at the hostel's restaurant for every meal, but they have a large menu and good food. The food is reasonably priced, but not cheap.

Summary

Greengos is a much better option than staying in a hostel in the busy town of Lanquin. You can walk to Semuc Champey, and the hostel takes care of everything you need. Greengos has a great staff and offers so much to guests that it really goes above and beyond the quality of a normal hostel, but still for a backpacker price!