Hotel MacArthur (Av. Lempira 454, tel. 504/237-9839, www.hotelmacarthur.com, US$35 s, US$40 d, US$10 more for a/c) is a reliable hotel in Colonia Dolores, a residential neighborhood downtown, featuring clean, modern rooms with hot water, telephone, and TV. The highlight of the well-managed hotel is its common areas—a nice swimming pool (long enough to do laps), a reasonably priced restaurant, and an interior parking lot. Some rooms have more windows and better light than others, so don’t hesitate to ask to see more than one before deciding. All in all, it’s a good value for the money.

Aparthotel y Plaza Colonial (Av. Jeréz between Calles Matute and Palace, tel. 504/222-7727, aparthotelcolonialhn [at] hotmail [dot] com, US$38 s, US$49 d) is a surprisingly charming find smack in the center of downtown, perfectly located for explorations of the churches and museums nearby. True to its name, the small building has some colonial charm, with tile floors and an inner courtyard, but all finishings are brand new. Rooms are spacious and include a kitchenette, while apartments offer a bit more space for US$10 more.

The newest addition to the Granada empire is the Granada IV (Subida Casamata 1323, tel. 504/237-4004, US$26 s, US$ 42 d, all rooms with a/c), on the same street as II and III. Rooms are bigger and nicer than in its siblings, and there are computers with Internet access in the lobby.

Two hotels that don’t have much going on for them beyond location are Hotel Prado (tel. 504/237-0121, US$33 s, US$38 d), across Avenida Cervantes from the cathedral, and Hotel Plaza (tel. 504/237-2111, US$35 s, US$47 d), at the western end of the peatonal. Neither is terribly clean, and the Prado is rather dark as well, but their central positions may appeal to some travelers.