Accommodations

By far the nicest digs in Marcala [1] are at Casa-Hotel Frissman (tel. 504/764-5854, US$26 s, US$29–47 d), with clean and spacious rooms in a big orange building (with parking) on the outskirts of town. Prices vary depending on the room layout, but all have attractive wood furniture and nice bathrooms. A pot of coffee is set out in the mornings.

Three kilometers outside of town on the road to La Esperanza [2], in a bucolic forest setting, is La Casona Hotel Campestre (tel. 504/764-5718, US$18 s, US$23 d), decent for those who have their own wheels or really like being out in the woods in peaceful surroundings. Casona means big house, which is exactly what this is, with a shared living room complete with piano. Additional rooms have been built in a newer wing, but the place remains dated and rather worn. There’s a swimming pool (filled only during the summer months, roughly March–May, and no restaurant, so be prepared to head into town for all meals.

Of the cheaper hotels, Hotel Nueva Jerusalen (tel. 504/774-5909, US$16 s, US$18–21 d) is best, with tile floors and reasonably clean rooms. There are 40 rooms set up motel-style around a parking lot, with another 8–10 in the works.

Less expensive but also acceptable is Hotel Roxana (tel. 504/764-5866, US$10 s, US$16 d), across from the post office and the street market. Each room has a private bath with hot water (although you should make sure your hot shower works before settling in), cable TV, and private parking. Bring your flip-flops for the shower. The hotel also operates a cafeteria, although you can get a better meal elsewhere in town. Roxana has a 10 p.m. curfew, but it’s hard to imagine a reason to be out later than that in Marcala [1].