The venerable Hotel Formosa (3 Av. between 1 and 2 Calles E, tel. 504/665-0853, US$13 s, US$18.50 d, a few dollars more for a/c and TV, cold water only) has very basic rooms with private baths, and the owners speak English.

The best inexpensive rooms in town are at Hotel El Centro (3 Av. between 2 and 3 Calles E, tel. 504/665-1160, US$17 s or US$24 d, US$16 more for a/c), with clean rooms with TV and private baths.

A good midrange choice is the Hotel Spring Palace (tel. 504/665-1471, US$27 s, US$30.50 d), facing the park, whose tidy rooms have TV and air-conditioning, and a few have balconies that overlook the park.

Far and away the best place to stay in town is
Hotel Villa Capri (tel. 504/665-0860, US$38 s, US$56 d). The converted house right near the entrance to the docks at 2 Avenida and 1 Calle has only nine rooms, but each is spacious, comfortable, and equipped with hot water and air-conditioning, as well as tile floors and carved wood furniture. The price includes a continental breakfast.

On the Beach

At Playa Cienaguita, a couple of kilometers outside of town on the way to Omoa, is the Hotel Playa (tel. 504/665-0453, US$65 s, US$99 d), a charming hotel with rooms in upscale cabins, each with a small porch, air-conditioning, and TV. Service is very good and there’s an inviting pool area, but the hotel is a bit pricey all in all. There is a large restaurant area around the pool with gazebos in a setup reminiscent of a Jersey boardwalk, and if you buy food or drinks you can hang out all day in the gazebos and sand (the breakfast crepes are very tasty). Use of the pool is US$5 a day.

Right next door is Hotel Palmeras Beach (tel. 504/665-3891, US$24 s, US$32 d during the week, US$45 s, US$55 on weekends), with seven somewhat shabby but decent and spacious rooms, all with TV and air-conditioning. The facilities include a pool, a decrepit children’s play area, and a restaurant. As at Hotel Playa, the Hotel Palmeras Beach encourages nonguests to use its facilities (and no charge for the pool here) in return for consumption of food and drink.

Just across the road from Palmeras is Brisas Resort (tel. 504/665-4164, US$34 s, US$42 d during the week, US$41 s, US$53 d on weekends). Most of the 21 rooms are a bit cramped, but the swimming pool is crystalline, and there are hammocks lining the breezeway, free wireless Internet, and, for those who need to stretch their muscles, a couple of exercise machines. There is also a very spacious triple available with sink and mini-fridge, for US$68 during the week, US$70 on weekends. While it’s not beach-front, it’s easy enough to use the beach facilities at the other two hotels nearby, or reach the beach without using hotel facilities through the access path just to the right of Hotel Playa’s entrance.

With two good restaurants nearby, a stay in one of the Playa-Palmeras-Brisas trifecta is ideal, but there are also a couple of decent hotels at other spots on the Cienaguita beach. The Casa de Playa (tel. 504/553-2424, US$66 s, US$78 d) is laid out motel-style, but it’s attractive and right on the beach. All the standard amenities (TV, air-conditioning, wireless Internet, Internet in the lobby) and breakfast are included in the rate, but there’s no swimming pool.

The Sol y Mar Hotel (tel. 504/665-3988, www.solymarhotel.hn, US$65 s/d) has 14 guest rooms, some with a view. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, swimming pool, Internet, and two boats (one banana boat, one lancha) for taking a spin on the ocean. Rates include breakfast. To get to either hotel just look for the signs along the Puerto Cortés–Omoa highway.