For now, all vacations to Nicaragua from anywhere around the globe, begin (at least for now) in Managua. Airplanes from any international city arrive at the Augusto César Sandino International Airport in Managua, the capital city. If you are not traveling with a tour group, it’s always best to book your hotel in Managua before you arrive so everything is arranged before landing. You can arrange to be picked up by your hotel shuttle bus or else grab a taxi – many of which stand waiting outside of the front doors of the airport.
The hotels in Managua are more generally more expensive than the hotels other parts of Nicaragua. However, you’ll find for a national capital city, the prices are relatively low in comparison to other capital cities. If you want to explore the city of Managua in depth, trying staying at several different hotels in Managua to really get to know this vibrant city.
There are many different types of hotels in Managua, from hostels, to boutique hotels, budget hotels and luxury hotels to choose from. The following is a list of some of the best hotels in Managua belonging to the international hotel chains and their price ranges (at the time of writing) and available amenities. In this posting, we take a look at the Crowne Plaza Managua, the Hilton Princess, the Real Intercontinental Metrocentro and the Hotel Seminole Plaza.
Crowne Plaza Hotel:
Located in the Martha Quezada neighborhood in the historical center of near the embassies, a good shopping mall and government buildings , the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Managua was one of the few buildings in the city that remained standing after the earthquake of 1972. Designed to look like a Mayan pyramid, this hotel is considered a historical landmark of Managua.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel has an interesting history. During the early 1980s, the Sandinista government had offices in the building. Billionaire Howard Hughes was also a long term guest of this hotel. It was also the home of the foreign press for over 10 years. Hotel guests have a choice of rooms when booking, either a suite facing the Lake or the mountains.
The Crowne Plaza Managua is a pleasant hotel with three good restaurants, bar. The buffet breakfast in the restaurant is available for an extra fee and a good place to have your first meal of the day if you are newly arrived in Managua. The air conditioning is very refreshing, especially if it’s hot outside.
Crowne Plaze Hotel Amenities:
140 Guest Rooms, 30 suites, 64 non-smoking rooms, air conditioned, some with a mountain view and the others with a view of Lake Managua
Full bathroom – bathrobe provided, hairdryer
Mini bar
Cable TV
Coffee maker
Daily maid service
Laundry & dry cleaning service
Foreign currency exchange
Car rental: Dollar Rent a Car, Hertz Car Rental
Restaurants: Japanese cuisine at the Royal Tepanyaki Restaurant, Los Continentes Restaurant serve snacks, Creole and international food, and the Ming Court Restaurant serves a Taiwan menu
Outdoor pool
La Cita cocktail lounge in the lobby
High speed internet
Health and fitness center
Business Center for corporate travel
free airport shuffle
Hilton Princess Managua Hotel:
The Hilton Princess Hotel in Managua located at kilometro 4.5 Carretera a Masaya, like all Hilton hotels, lives up to the Hilton hotels international brand name. You’ll pay an average of around $150 a night for a room, but check with HotelsCombined search engine here on this page to find the best price for the nights you want to stay in Managua.
Amenities: Included at the Hilton Princess Managua are all amenities which you would expect to find at any Hilton hotel anywhere in the world.
Luxury air conditioned rooms with maid service
Buffet Breakfast
Room Service
Bar
Snack bar
Café
Restaurant
Safe box at reception
Business services and meeting rooms for business travelers
Health and fitness facilities
Outdoor swimming pool
Airport shuttle
Real Intercontinental Metrocentro Hotel:
The Real Intercontinental Metrocentro Hotel is a 5 star hotel in Managua in a great location near the Metrocentro mall and the Zona Rose (on the Carretera Masaya), the business and entertainment district of Managua. Room rates at the Real Intercontinental Metrocentro hotel begin at $110 for a standard hotel room to over $150 US for a luxury suite. The best hotel suites are the Club Level rooms. It is among the tallest buildings in Managua. This is an award winning hotel and won the World Travel Award in 2005 and the Torchbearer award in both 2006 and 2008. Dining is pleasurable experience with the wonderful cuisine found on the menu in the hotel’s Restaurante Voltes. The Scenario Bar and pool terrace offers local and international wine, beer and liquors in a relaxed atmosphere.
Amenities at the Real Intercontinental Metrocentro:
Elegantly designed, air conditioned hotel rooms
High speed and wireless internet in all hotel rooms
Daily housecleaning
International cuisine at Real Intercontinental Metrocentro hotel’s Restaurante Voltes
Scenario Bar and pool terrace
Car rental services available from Hertz and Avis Rent a Car
Outdoor pool
Fitness facilities located in the hotel
Business center
Hotel Seminole Plaza:
Located at Metrocentro Intercontinental at 1 cabajo, 1 cal sur, the Hotel Seminole Plaza offers guests comfortable beds, air conditioned large hotel rooms, daily maid services with private bathrooms, hot water, and cable TV. The Hotel Seminole Plaza makes the first floor rooms available for the convenience of disabled travelers. You’ll find that the Hotel Seminole Plaza is in a great location if you want to experience the nightlife of Managua. It is within walking distance of the restaurants, bars and nightclubs. If you want to shop, there are some good shopping malls within walking distance. The Hotel Seminole Plaza is in the same district as the Real Intercontinental Metrocentro and the Hilton Princess hotel, but offers rooms at a lower price. The Hotel Seminole Plaza offers hotel rooms between $100 to $150 US per night (correct at the time of writing), making it good value for your dollar.
Amenities from the Hotel Seminole Plaza:
Large hotel rooms with comfortable beds
Air conditioning
Cable TV
Internet
Daily maid service
Great buffet breakfast
Friendly and professional staff
24 hour front desk
Restaurants (two of them, one is at the pool) serving international and local cuisine
Bar serving local and international drinks – with an outdoor terrace
Swimming pool
The above is a listing of some of the best hotels in Managua that are owned by the well known international hotel chains. There are many other independently owned hotels in Managua with lower prices for you to choose from but these are the major well-known hotels in the upper price range. All of these hotels will pick you up at the airport upon your arrival. Book the airport pickup when you book your hotel room. Check out TripAdvisor for the best hotel rates for these and other hotels in Managua.
Til we see you in Managua…
This post should generate some traffic…good on ya! If a visitor is looking for a chain hotel the Holiday Inn is good too. It is a little less expensive, offers a really excellent breakfast buffet, and has a nice pool and other amenities. The downside is that it is not as centrally located as the others you mention.
I am interested to know how many visitors are looking for a chain hotel in downtown Managua when there are the nice boutique options available that offer a more typical Nicaraguan (i.e. natural) environment, but are still located quite close to the major business and entertainment centers of Managua. Thanks for the post!
Hola Mike,
Some people, when they travel to a “new vacation” destination such as Nicaragua, may feel that they want to stay in something that is “familiar.” The familiarity of the hotel name brand offers comfort and no surprises.
However, once someone is comfortable in their surroundings, they’ll get a little braver to try something new.
Yes, there’s some lovely boutique hotels in Managua and we’ve reviewed/written about a few of them.
Take care and keep in touch!