Gran Hotel del Paraguay, Asuncion

family orientated hotel staff were extreemaly helpful and carasmatic charming hotel. i stayed there 18 years ago and i am about to vist very soon to take my adopted children back to visit thier beautiful country.

I have been in the Gran Hotel del Paraguay several times but for a long time ago. I think it great. A very quiet place, delicious if you are tired and look for some rest. The only thing I dislike: on that time they didn't have air conditioner and Asunción is too, too hot. But now, I know they have - so, perfect! Virginia Reis

I just spent a month staying at this hotel and HIGHLY recommend it. The grounds are beautiful, lovely gardens, even a parrot and toucan can be seen in the garden (in cages). The hotel was built sometime in the 1850s, I think, and was the former palace of Madame Lynch (we were told), the Irish mistress of Franciso Solano Lopez. The staff is incredibly nice, VERY professional. The dining room is gorgeous. Sat. nights feature concerts and weddings/receptions. The food wasn't great, but definitely good enough. Location is good, too.

Truly the most excellent experience in Asuncion. One has the feeling of living in a Graham Greene novel with modern amenities. The staff is the most friendly I have ever experienced, attentive and yet laid back.

I lived in the Gran Hotel del Paraguay with my parents for two months in the summer of 1957, awaiting the completion of our house. It was then owned by the Weilers -- Arturo and Hans -- and had a charming sort of colonial shabby-genteel atmosphere. The management thought nothing of my walking my pet ocelot in the patio, nor of my ordering a gin tonic at the batr at age thirteen! The dining room had allegedly been a theater under the regime of Francisco Solano Lopez, and above the vestigial stage was painted the legend "In Vino Veritas." What a great time and place! I am totally stoked to learn that the hotel is still in business, and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone wishing to escape the "downtown Motel 6" ambiance of most South American chain hotels.

The Gran Hotel del Paraguay is just the kind of cozy retreat this traveler appreciates. It's new enough to have sufficient amenities and old enough to have the kind of charm newer hotels lack. I can't think of a better place to spend a lazy afternoon in Asuncion than on the patio of the Gran Hotel with a plate of empanadas and a bottle of Baviera beer. Depending on the season, poolside is also nice. You'll be a step ahead if you speak Spanish, but the staff aims to please, despite the language barrier. I've stayed at the Gran Hotel del Paraguay a number of times in the last five years, and I can't imagine staying anywhere else in Paraguay's capital city.