...staying at "La Casa Philipps" |
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It is our recommendation for those wanting to finish off their trip in style and enjoy the beauty and atmosphere of the Old City, Antigua.
A bit of history,
Pedro de Alvarado, de Conqueror, founded Villa de Santiago de Guatemala on July 25, 1524. The rumbling of cannons, the clashing of swords and swishing of arrows could still be heard when he moved the city to the Almolonga Valley. This new city lasted for a very short time: in 1541, a mud and water flood descended from the Junapú volcano and destroyed the city. Many people died buried alive, among them Alvarado’s wife, Doña Beatriz de la Cueva. The authorities had no choice but to transfer the city to the Panchoy Valley, the present Antigua Guatemala.
For couples making the trip to fish with Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures, this is a must do overnight stay and we are happy to book you in for more than just one night if that is your choice.
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Our driver will deliver you to the hotel after fishing on your final day, included in your package is the 45 minute trip to the airport the following day with Casa Santo Domingo's transfer service. The flight you book will depend on whether you are in an urgent need of getting home or can take advantage of the following day in enjoying picturesque Antigua and surrounds before making it to an afternoon departure.
Casa Santo Domingo Hotel,
After the independence from Spain in 1821, the land and buildings that had been owned by the Spanish crown were auctioned and became private property. This happened with the Saint Dominic convent and temple lands that were divided into several lots and bought by different persons.
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Years later some of them passed on to the company that organized the Casa Santo Domingo Hotel, whose development began to take shape in 1989.
The main objective of this project is to rescue the vestiges of the convent and temple. To reach said objective it was necessary to sign an agreement with the National Council for the Protection of Antigua Guatemala that included the archeological study of the group of buildings.
A new agreement was signed in 1990 with the purpose or restoring and using part of the vestiges, conserving the environment as far as possible and placing a reversible cover on the original walls. The Council determined the areas that could be used for the project. Each stage of the project requires the prior approval of this institution. That is how the Casa Santo Domingo Hotel has come to be a reality.
All the design and integration works have been directed by Amerigo Giracca.
Antigua Guatemala
Located in Guatemala’s central highlands, in the Panchoy Valley, it is surrounded by mountains and the Agua or Junajpú, Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes. It is located 1,530 meters over sea level. Its climate is mild, warm during the day and cool at night. Its history is rich in events, but these have been interrupted by floods, tremors and earthquakes. Since its beginnings as the Ciudad de Santiago de Guatemala (City of Saint James of Guatemala, hereinafter called City of Santiago) in the Almolonga Valley up to this date, more than a dozen earthquakes have been documented. The last one of them happened in 1976.
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With a history convulsed by telluric movements and floods, the City of Santiago starts its public life in Panchoy on March 10, 1543, when the city council holds its first meeting. On that date it starts it´s development as one of the first urbanized cities of the new world.
Casa Santo Domingo Hotel is not just a 5 stars hotel. It is also a cultural center; refuge of artists and intellectuals whose creations enrich daily life in Antigua Guatemala. The galas, recitals, art exhibitions, opera and zarzuela festivals with national and foreign soloists are memorable. Its archeological and colonial art museums are exemplary and both are surprising in their rich collections and novel museum design.
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