For years the hotel in San Pedro, the Gran Hotel Sula (1 Calle at 4 Av. NO, tel. 504/545-2600, U.S. tel. 866/978-5025, www.hotelsula.hn, US$110 s/d, US$122 suite), facing the downtown square, has been surpassed in quality by the newer high-end hotels, but it is still favored by many business travelers and tourists for its central location and bustling vibe. The rooms all have private balconies (some with nice views), wireless Internet, and throw rugs over tile floors, and suites have large, separate kitchen/dining areas.

The upscale Granada Restaurant serves lunch buffets and dinner à la carte, and the diner-style Café Skandia, with a patio overlooking the small pool, was long the city’s only 24-hour restaurant, but alas, it has cut back to 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. The gift shop sells day-old U.S. newspapers and magazines and books in English, and there is a car rental agency in the lobby. Reservation requests made through the form on the hotel’s website seem to get lost in cyberspace—better to call.

Another new boutique hotel in a converted home is
Casa Luna (2 Calle NO at 23 Av., tel. 504/510-1748, www.hotelcasaluna.blogspot.com, reservacionescasaluna [at] gmail [dot] com, US$81 s, US$104 d), located a few blocks beyond the Circunvalación in the northwest quadrant of the city. The seven spacious guest rooms are sleek and stylish, with high ceilings, queen beds, top-quality linens, and a tiny study with table and chair. Continental breakfast is included, and the restaurant is open 6 a.m.–10 p.m. The terrace is a comfortable place for a cup of coffee (brewed all day long) or a cocktail. The hotel can arrange a taxi to or from the airport for US$13.

An eight-story, modern pink tower in front of the Mall Multiplaza on the road heading out of town toward Tegucigalpa, Hotel Copantl (16 Calle SO, off Boulevard del Sur, tel. 504/556-8900, www.copantl.com, US$151 s, US$163 d) has 200 modern rooms with queen and king beds, ornate furnishings, TV, wireless Internet, and air-conditioning. The standout features of the Copantl are its many facilities, which include a beauty parlor, a tobacco and gift shop selling many English-language publications, a travel center/information desk, a convention center, a casino, two bars, three restaurants, an Olympic-size pool, a gym with Jacuzzi, and six tennis courts. A buffet breakfast is included with the room, as well as free shuttle service to and from the airport (on their schedule). The hotel is a favorite of traveling diplomats, aid agencies, and international organizations such as the United Nations. The seventh-floor open-air steakhouse, La Churrasquería (6 p.m.–midnight daily) is popular for its city views. Weekend rates (US$87 s, US$99 d) are a steal.

One of the finest in town is the Hilton Princess (Av. Circunvalación at 10 Calle SO, tel. 504/556-9600, U.S. tel. 800/445-8667, www.hilton.com, US$128 s/d standard, US$162 s/d executive). The hotel’s 124 rooms have all the amenities, including wonderfully powerful showers and an Internet hookup with the hotel’s own server, and service is top-notch. Executive rooms include breakfast, butler service, coffee, tea, and juice in the afternoon, and express check-in/check-out. The hotel’s location, in the main restaurant district and near the exit to Tegucigalpa, is convenient, and as it began its life as an independent hotel, the building has a lot more character than many international chains. Book through the Hilton website for the best rates.

Right next to the Mall Multiplaza south of downtown, at the highway exit to Tegucigalpa, is the Inter-Continental (Boulevard del Sur near Mall Multiplaza, tel. 504/545-2500, U.S./Canada tel. 888/424-6835, www.intercontinental.com, US$166 s/d). The hotel always has Honduran and foreign businesspeople milling in its lobby. Executive level includes a welcome drink, an American breakfast, two laundry pressings, 6 p.m. snacks, and butler service. The hotel was upgrading its rooms at the time of writing and is likely to have the most luxurious rooms in town when it is done (and prices may rise accordingly). Amenities include a swimming pool, 24-hour gym, wireless Internet throughout the hotel, and a gift shop. Shuttle service to the airport costs US$10.