La Islita Boutique Hotel

What is it that makes an amazing hotel? It's pretty much a combination of many things, some of which are more important than others of course. It has to be well located. It has to be clean. It has to be how it presents itself in advertising. These are the basics, but if you get them wrong, then you have failed before you even start. Well, La Islita Boutique gets all these basics spot on! Let's move it up a gear then. What else do I want? When I arrive I want a nice welcome. I want to be made to feel like I am a wanted guest, rather than another business transaction. I don't want to be just another irritating tourist to get through. It's important, right? So we were met at the front gate by Arnold, who had seen the taxi arrive and rushed to greet us. (We were also met by Rocco - when you stay make sure you throw his toys for him). We received a wonderful welcome. The check in was slick and painless and Arnold engaged with us as people rather than as a transaction. Throughout our stay , he was an essential in ensuring all our bookings went smoothly, after all, he arranged them all for us! He certainly knows his stuff. And his English is amazing. Better than our Spanish......The rooms are wonderful and when you hear the history of the buildings,you really get to understand it. Ask Arnold. Within a four minute walk you are at the tourist heart of Granada, but tell Arnold (or Tim or Andreas) what it is you are looking for and they are full of recommendations. There are plenty of places to eat and they will sort the wheat from the chaff. The next morning we were greeted by the happiest ladies we met on this trip by far. Throughout breakfast we were served by them full of giggles, smiling and pleasentness - it was amazing. These ladies cook and serve breakfast and then clean the rooms immaculately. We also met the owners Tim and Andreas at breakfast. Fabulous guys! They chatted to us throughout our stay. (Breakfast, by the way, was, of course, delicious every day!) So all in all everything you want from a hotel and more, to be able to give it an easy five stars review. Here's where the story changes though. You may have seen on the news that there was a little but of trouble in Nicaragua about some changes to pensions. Don't get too excited. It's all very rare and of course, the western press exaggerates the effects. We never felt any risk at all. However, it was all very scary for the local people, the outcome being, pretty much every shop and restaurant closed up around five o'clock. There were a few of us staying at the hotel; we hadn't eaten, there was no where left to eat and all we had was rum (phew! We were lucky there then eh!) We sat in the lounge and when Tim and Andreas found out, they raided their fridge and put on an ad hoc finger feast! They then sat with us, eating food and drinking rum (Ron Flor de Cana of course; yet another reason alone for going to Granada/Nicaragua) and chatted with us all evening. This is what truly makes a hotel much much more than the five stars, which is the most I can award. When we needed it the most, we ceased being guests and became family. For all that I wrote at the start of this review, that alone is enough for me to recommend La Islita Boutique, but for what happened when adversity (yeah ok, a bit dramatic) struck, that's why I would say, if you are going anywhere near Granada, there is not a place other than this, that you should even consider. Guys (and ladies of course) Thank You!!!