As you can guess from the name Hotel El Convento was once a convent, although that word can mean what we would consider a monastery as well. The San Francisco Convent dates all the way back to 1639 and was run by the Franciscans until they were expelled from Nicaragua in 1829. After that it has served as a school, an institution of higher learning, a convent once again, but with sisters this time and lastly a school once again. Damaged by earthquakes and then bombed into oblivion during the civil war, by 1980 there was nothing left of the original historic structure. Beginning in 1995, the site was purchased by the current owner who obtained as many plans as he could assemble to build a hotel that was as close in design to the original convent as possible. He has succeeded spectacularly. I had no idea until I got here that the place was essentially new. The place is absolutely loaded with great pieces of art, most religious in nature, but not your run of the mill stiff depictions of saints and madonnas. For example there is a carved wooden angel with a Dolly Partonesque superstructure and children all waiting their turn. I've seen lots of angels, but never one that looked like this one. Aside from looking at the art there is also a nice courtyard and fountain that was a favourite gathering spot for white-winged doves in...As you can guess from the name Hotel El Convento was once a convent, although that word can mean what we would consider a monastery as well. The San Francisco Convent dates all the way back to 1639 and was run by the Franciscans until they were expelled from Nicaragua in 1829. After that it has served as a school, an institution of higher learning, a convent once again, but with sisters this time and lastly a school once again. Damaged by earthquakes and then bombed into oblivion during the civil war, by 1980 there was nothing left of the original historic structure.

Beginning in 1995, the site was purchased by the current owner who obtained as many plans as he could assemble to build a hotel that was as close in design to the original convent as possible. He has succeeded spectacularly. I had no idea until I got here that the place was essentially new.

The place is absolutely loaded with great pieces of art, most religious in nature, but not your run of the mill stiff depictions of saints and madonnas. For example there is a carved wooden angel with a Dolly Partonesque superstructure and children all waiting their turn. I've seen lots of angels, but never one that looked like this one.

Aside from looking at the art there is also a nice courtyard and fountain that was a favourite gathering spot for white-winged doves in the early morning and at evening.

The rooms were spacious with brick walls and tile floors that kept the rooms cool although there was also air conditioning if you wanted it, but we generally found the ambient temperature just right.

Not only was the hotel itself great, but the location was excellent. It seemed that almost everything you would want to see was only a few blocks away in one direction or another. This is simply a great oasis in a very nice city with very few tourists.More